On the infrastructure side, NIPSCO reported 55,000 natural-gas distribution lines and 3,300 megawatts of installed generating capacity as of 2024. The generation fleet is housed at 11 separate facilities that collectively deploy coal, natural gas, solar arrays and smaller renewable sources. Current fuel-mix estimates put coal at 43 percent of output, natural gas at 26 percent and solar at 13 percent, with the remainder attributed to other renewable or purchased power resources.
NiSource operates two coal plants that account for the bulk of its coal share. Company planning documents indicate both facilities are scheduled for full retirement no later than 2028, a step expected to eliminate coal entirely from the corporate mix. The strategy aligns with internal targets to lower greenhouse-gas emissions and conforms to broader industry trends tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Complementing its generation assets, NiSource maintains liquefied natural gas capabilities in Indiana. The LNG operations are principally designed to enhance winter-season reliability, allowing NIPSCO to balance peak demand by storing gas during lower-usage periods and re-vaporizing it when consumption rises.
Transmission and distribution remain the company’s fundamental revenue engines because state regulators set cost-recovery frameworks that can provide relatively stable earnings. Both Columbia Gas and NIPSCO manage extensive pipeline and wire networks, and each subsidiary files periodic rate cases with public utility commissions in their respective jurisdictions.
Looking ahead, the planned coal retirements are expected to trigger construction of replacement generation, primarily solar arrays and natural-gas peaking units. Though detailed capital-spending figures were not included in the latest summary, earlier corporate materials have referenced multiyear investment schedules intended to modernize the grid, reinforce safety measures and support renewable integration.
Management has also pointed to net-zero ambitions for 2040. Meeting that goal would require incremental advances in renewable deployment, energy storage and demand-side management across the six-state service area. The company has signaled that any long-term additions to its rate base must remain consistent with state and federal regulations, customer affordability considerations and evolving market conditions.
NiSource’s share performance often reflects the relatively defensive nature of regulated utilities, combined with investor scrutiny of decarbonization timetables and capital expenditure requirements. The company’s decision to phase out coal by 2028 provides a clear milestone that could shape both operational planning and regulatory engagement over the next four years.
No announced changes alter the basic service obligations: delivering natural gas to 3.3 million customers and electricity to half a million more across Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. As of 2024, those obligations are supported by 3,300 MW of capacity, 55,000 gas distribution lines, LNG assets in Indiana and a regulated framework designed to balance customer reliability with infrastructure investment.
Barring unforeseen policy shifts, the next key markers for NiSource will be the sequential retirement of its two remaining coal plants, expected replacement-generation approvals and continued progress toward the 2040 net-zero objective.
