FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Governor Mike Braun has replaced the chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), appointing Commissioner Anthony Swinger to lead the agency just six months after naming former State Senator Andy Zay to the position. Braun announced the change Monday evenin g. “Effective immediately, I am naming Anthony Swinger the new chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission,” Braun said in a statement posted on X. “Affordability is my top priority and I am confident Chairman Swinger will deliver on that priority for Hoosiers.” Zay, a Huntington Republican and former state senator, will remain on the five-member commission, which regulates Indiana’s major utility companies and oversees rates for electricity, natural gas, water, and other services. The leadership change comes days after the IURC approved a rate increase for AES Indiana. Regulators authorized approximately $70 million in additional annual revenue for the Indianapolis-based electric utility, significantly less than the nearly $193 million the company requested. Braun publicly criticized the decision following the ruling and called on regulators to reconsider the case, saying additional scrutiny was needed and that more reductions should be considered. Zay was among the three commissioners who voted in favor of the AES rate increase. Swinger did not participate in the vote because of his previous work on the case while serving with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, the state agency that represents utility customers in regulatory proceedings. Braun appointed Zay, Swinger, and former State Senator Bob Deig to the commission in December. At the time, Braun said Hoosiers had faced “excessive and unnecessary utility rate increases for too long” and pledged to make affordability a top priority. The governor did not provide additional details about the leadership change, and Zay did not immediately comment. The shakeup comes amid broader questions about the future makeup of the commission. Commissioner David Veleta posted a message on LinkedIn Monday suggesting he may be preparing for a career change, writing that after 17 years at the IURC, including the last four as a commissioner, he was “ready for what’s next.” Neither Veleta nor Braun’s office has confirmed whether he plans to leave the commission. The IURC plays a key role in determining how much Hoosiers pay for utility services by deciding whether companies can recover costs from customers and what rates utilities are allowed to charge. The post Gov. Braun Replaces Andy Zay as Indiana Utility Commission Chairman After AES Rate Hike Approval appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less