After severe storms swept Northwest Indiana, power was still out at thousands of homes and businesses, and Governor Mike Braun demanded answers from the utility responsible.
Here's what to know
With outages lingering across the region, Braun said the state should investigate whether NIPSCO had adequately prepared for the storms, Realtor.com reported.
In a statement, Braun accused the company of falling short, saying, "NIPSCO is a monopoly utility that Hoosiers pay every month with the expectation that it will use its considerable resources to maintain its system, prepare for severe weather, and restore service as quickly as possible when disaster strikes. NIPSCO has failed to keep its end of the bargain."
Nationwide, power outages are lasting longer and carrying greater consequences, disrupting housing, finances, and daily life for families already under strain.
Regulators in Ohio were asking similar questions to Governor Braun after unseasonably hot weather coincided with outages affecting more than 18,000 customers. In Gary, meanwhile, nearly 22,000 NIPSCO customers still lacked electricity.
When the power stays out, food spoils, homes become difficult or impossible to live in, and families can suddenly be forced to cover hotel, transportation, and meal costs on top of rent or mortgage payments.
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More background
According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. customers went an average of 11 hours without electricity in 2024, according to Realtor.com — nearly double the annual average recorded over the previous decade.
Much of that increase was tied to weather-related outages. Hurricanes and other major events accounted for almost nine outage hours per customer in 2024, up from just under four hours annually from 2014 through 2023.
A 2025 Nature Communications study found that 33% of residential customers said they would temporarily move during a one-day outage, while 83% said they would leave during a 14-day outage.
The study estimated household losses at $2.2 billion for a one-day outage and $6.9 billion for a 14-day outage, with food and housing costs rising as households pay for lodging, transportation, and meals elsewhere.
What's being done?
Public officials are increasing scrutiny of utility companies and the business decisions tied to grid reliability.
The investigation Braun wants would force NIPSCO to account for its spending and planning on system maintenance, storm readiness, and restoration resources after customers went without electricity for so long.
Other public officials are raising similar concerns. According to the Lakewood Observer, Lakewood Mayor Meghan George said, "These are life-and-death matters that also cost our residents and businesses thousands of dollars when our power fails at the times we need it the most."
Homebuyers are also starting to adjust. Florida-based real estate agent Jim Chamberlin said buyers increasingly want to know how neighborhoods function after storms, including how long it takes for power, internet, and nearby essentials to return, per Realtor.com.
Blackout risk is increasingly shaping what makes a home feel secure. As Chamberlin said, "What they are trying to do is get a bigger picture of what living there actually looks like after a storm and not just on a sunny Saturday afternoon."
For many households, resilience is becoming part of the housing equation alongside price and location. Backup power remains out of reach for many families, particularly lower-income households, making utility accountability just as important as personal preparedness.
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