GARY, INDIANA — Indiana Governor Mike Braun directed the state consumer advocate to petition for an investigation into Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s preparation for and response to recent prolonged power outages. The investigation will examine whether the utility adequately maintained vegetation and cleared rights-of-way, and whether funding approved for infrastructure improvements was spent as promised.

NIPSCO reported that more than 22,000 of its 35,800 customers in Gary remained without power on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. confirmed that residents in Gary, Munster, and Highland will likely have to wait until Tuesday, August 25, 2026, for power to be restored. Gary and Portage are scheduled to be the last cities to receive power restoration, according to Northern Indiana Public Service Co.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton called the pace of power restoration "unacceptable" on Sunday, August 23, 2026. "We’re at day 12 and 12 days is too long for families to be without power, 12 days is too long for parents to worry about their children and for businesses to lose revenue," Melton said in a community update.

"You have been patient, you have been understanding and you’ve been frustrated with the delays, just like me and my family," Melton said Wednesday. "Progress is being made, power is actively being turned on. But many residents are still suffering without power."

"It is absolutely unacceptable for NIPSCO to have a two-week delay for northwest Indiana Hoosiers," Darren Washington, vice president of the Gary Common Council, said Friday afternoon. "It is NIPSCO’s fault, being a billion-dollar company, that it took this long to restore power." Washington added that he believed the utility did not care about Gary because the city lacks large corporations and business activity.

NiSource Inc. the parent company of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. is based in Merrillville, Indiana, and serves approximately 500,000 electric customers across six states. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. agreed to clean up soil contamination at the Town of Pines Groundwater Plume Superfund site in Porter County, Indiana, at an estimated cost of $11.8 million to resolve federal and state liability for coal ash distributed as landscaping fill.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, about 55,000 of Gary's 69,000 residents are Black. More than 29% of Gary's population lives in poverty, compared to about 12% for the state of Indiana. Gary’s estimated median household income is about $40,752, compared to $71,959 for the rest of Indiana.

"Some people don’t have the luxury of owning a car to drive somewhere else or having access to a place to go that’s outside of their immediate community where there might still be power," said Stephen Pantano, senior vice president of market transformation for the Urban Land Institute’s Impact Lab. "It’s a matter of where the lightning strikes on any given day as to which specific community is hit," Pantano said. "Gary’s number came up this time, but it’s going to be another city next time. And the problem with aging infrastructure and disinvestment tends to accentuate the impacts when they hit communities that have been experiencing those problems for a long time."

Why It Matters

The prolonged outage affected a community with high poverty rates and limited resources. Residents described living in survival mode, with some lacking transportation to leave the area or financial means to purchase generators. The investigation ordered by the governor will determine if regulatory standards for vegetation management and infrastructure spending were met.

Northern Indiana Public Service Co. crews assessed more than 2,000 miles of power lines, many blocked by uprooted trees. The utility described the storm destruction as unprecedented and widespread. At least seven people across Indiana were killed during the storms.

Timeline

On September 21, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency approved Indiana's state implementation plan submission revising the 2008 ozone maintenance plan for Lake and Porter Counties. Storms struck Gary, Indiana, on August 11, 2026. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. reported that more than 370,000 customers across its service area lost power due to the storms. More than 38,300 homes and businesses in Gary lost power from the August 11 storms.

A resident in Porter County, Indiana, filed a lawsuit in state court accusing Northern Indiana Public Service Co. of negligence and requesting a class action on August 17, 2026. The lawsuit complaint alleges that Northern Indiana Public Service Co. failed to maintain trees and vegetation near power lines, which resulted in outages when storms caused vegetation to fall on the lines. On August 19, 2026, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton acknowledged resident frustration and noted that progress was being made while many continued to suffer without power.

What's New

Additional reporting includes statements from utility executives and residents regarding the ongoing restoration efforts. "No service territory is the same," said Melody Birmingham, an executive at Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s parent company. Residents described the conditions in their homes, with Lisa Bryant stating, "It’s completely dark." She added, "It’s been cool enough for us to raise the windows, but it’s been terrible not knowing when our lights will turn on." Bryant also noted that volunteers provided food, saying, "This will at least nourish us for a couple of days." She expressed concern about security, noting, "Even if I could afford the generator, the person on the next street got their generator stolen off the porch." Bryant pleaded, Just turn the lights on. That’s all I ask. Governor Mike Braun commented on the timeline, saying, "Hopefully that will be done by the weekend, (and) we've asked them to pick up the pace." Northern Indiana Public Service Co. reported that more than 300,000 people lost electricity because of the storm.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on specific details regarding service restoration and customer counts. Melody Birmingham stated, "No service territory is the same." Birmingham maintained her position while the utility reported that more than 364,000 customers had their service restored as of Monday, August 24, 2026.

Birmingham cited unique territorial challenges while the utility reported that 90% of residents should have their power back by Tuesday, August 25, 2026, and the rest by Friday, August 28, 2026. Birmingham emphasized territorial differences while the utility said 68,000 customers were still without power as of Thursday morning, August 20, 2026. Birmingham noted service variations while the utility said it has restored power to 306,500 customers since August 11, 2026. Birmingham pointed to territorial distinctions while the outage left more than 40,000 customers in northwest Indiana still without power as of Friday morning, August 21, 2026. Birmingham referenced service differences while the utility stated more than 330,000 customers have been restored since the storm.