PRESSEL LETTER TO IURC — SOURCE VERIFICATION
Primary: State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie) letter to IURC Chair Andy Zay
Date: February 2026
Source article: WNDU.com, "Michiana representative calls for NIPSCO rate review," Feb. 18, 2026
URL: https://www.wndu.com/2026/02/18/michiana-representative-calls-nipsco-rate-review-amid-dramatic-utility-bill-increases/
Also: 21Alive News, Feb. 19, 2026

=== KEY VERIFIED CLAIMS ===

IURC 2025 SURVEY REFERENCE:
"The IURC's 2025 Electricity Residential Bill Survey shows NIPSCO customers using 1,000 kWh 
in July saw an over 90% increase in their 2025 bill compared to 2016."
STATUS: CONFIRMED — IURC Table 7 shows 91.71% increase (2016: $121.86 → 2025: $233.62)

EIA RATE RANKING:
"The U.S. Energy Information Administration has also reported that NIPSCO had the 
second-highest residential customer rate for all electric utilities reporting data."
STATUS: CONFIRMED as reported — cannot independently access EIA Form 861 directly,
but claim is attributed to U.S. EIA data in official legislative correspondence to IURC Chair.

NOTE: The Pressel letter itself is not publicly posted online. It is referenced in news coverage.
The letter was sent to IURC Chair Andy Zay. The specific EIA ranking claim originates from 
that letter and was reported by credentialed regional news outlets.
Citation in letter appropriately attributes this to EIA data "as reported by State Rep. Jim Pressel."