An AES Indiana spokesperson said the company rescheduled the meeting after receiving numerous threats on social media.
INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers who planned to attend a community open house with AES Indiana on Tuesday night, hoping to get answers about rising utility bills and other concerns, arrived to find the event canceled less than an hour before it was set to begin.
An AES Indiana spokesperson said the company rescheduled the meeting after receiving numerous threats on social media. The spokesperson said the safety of employees and customers is the company’s top priority.
The cancellation frustrated some customers, who said they were looking for answers, particularly as bills rise and the company moves forward with plans to sell to private equity firms.
Helen Foster said she went to the meeting seeking accountability.
“I got to the door and was asked by someone, ‘Are you here for the AES meeting?’ And I said yes, and I was informed it had been canceled,” Foster said.
She said the last-minute decision felt like the company was avoiding questions.
“I just think that it was, again, a push away from not facing the citizens and giving them, you know, an explanation of what’s going on,” Foster said.
Foster said her own utility bill has increased by $200 or more, forcing her to cut back on expenses. She worries about others, especially seniors on fixed incomes.
“I have family members that are elderly, that are retired. They’re on fixed incomes. The bill for them is life-threatening,” she said.
Marcell Watson also planned to attend. He said he was not focused on his bill, but instead wanted answers about a proposal to send millions of gallons of water from Eagle Creek Reservoir to the LEAP district in Boone County.
“I’m really worried about industrial wastewater being dumped into Eagle Creek, and it sounds like there’s not a lot of transparency,” Watson said.
While he understands customers’ frustrations, Watson said threats are not the answer.
“I understand the frustration of some people, if their bills are tripling, doubling, or the meters are wrong, but there is really no place for threatening people, and you lose your argument,” he said.
Foster said she is determined to attend a future meeting, even if it means traveling to another community.
“I don’t live in those communities, but I am going to attend. I’m seeking answers, and so if I have to attend those meetings to get those answers, then I will drive as far as the next event,” she said.
An AES Indiana spokesperson said the company is still evaluating whether to move forward with another open house scheduled for next week and is working to determine a new date for Tuesday’s canceled meeting.
