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NIPSCO Delays Full Power Restoration in Gary, Thousands Still Out

8/22/2026

29 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

NIPSCO has delayed full power restoration in Gary, Indiana, leaving many customers in darkness.
As of Friday afternoon, 20,124 Gary customers and 41,290 statewide remained without power.
Utility assessments reported damage to 300 poles and 44 transmission lines in Gary.
Governor Mike Braun called the outage unacceptable and urged NIPSCO to speed up repairs.
Indiana National Guard and other state agencies deployed personnel to assist NIPSCO crews.

History

Historical Context

The August 14 2003 Northeast blackout, triggered by a FirstEnergy alarm failure and tree-contact line trips, left about 55 million customers in the U.S. and Ontario without power. The outage spurred the Energy Policy Act of 2005, making NERC standards mandatory and prompting billions in grid upgrades. Today, a NIPSCO failure in Gary, Indiana, echoes that legacy as residents lose electricity.

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Story summary

NIPSCO has delayed full power restoration in Gary, Indiana, leaving many customers in darkness.
As of Friday afternoon, 20,124 Gary customers and 41,290 statewide remained without power.
Utility assessments reported damage to 300 poles and 44 transmission lines in Gary.
Governor Mike Braun called the outage unacceptable and urged NIPSCO to speed up repairs.
Indiana National Guard and other state agencies deployed personnel to assist NIPSCO crews.

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