Stop the Blackouts. Hold Utility Companies Accountable.
The Issue
On August 11, severe storms left hundreds of thousands of Indiana residents without power. For many families, the outage lasted for hours or even days, with thousands still without power. Homes were left without electricity, and families were forced to throw away food that spoiled while they waited for power to be restored. For families already dealing with the disruption of an extended outage, the financial loss from spoiled food added another burden.
These families should not be left to bear the financial consequences.
IMMEDIATE ACTION
We are demanding reimbursement for customers who lost food during the extended August 11 outages. Customers should not be forced to absorb the cost of hundreds of dollars in spoiled food because they were without power for an extended period.
FUTURE ACTION
1. Recognize food loss as a consequence of restoration time.
While the storm itself may be an act of nature, food loss is a consequence of how long customers remain without power and the utility’s response and restoration time.
2. Demand transparency and accountability in power restoration.
Utilities should establish clear, measurable criteria for determining which communities are restored first during major outages. Those decisions should be documented, and restoration priorities and performance should be made publicly available.
Customers deserve to know why one community gets power back before another, how restoration decisions are made, how long communities remain without power, and whether utilities are meeting their restoration standards.
Help the people affected now. Fix the system for the next outage.
This petition was created by Don’t Muzzle the Ox, a public advocacy initiative of Corepark. We began investigating NIPSCO and food loss from power outages earlier this summer after hearing from Indiana families who were forced to throw away hundreds of dollars in refrigerated and frozen food following repeated, extended outages.
Our investigation examines utility practices, cost recovery, consumer protections, and potential solutions for customers affected by prolonged outages.
Don’t Muzzle the Ox is dedicated to uncovering problems, amplifying the voices of those affected, and turning real-world issues into meaningful policy and legislative change.
Our goal with this campaign is simple: help Indiana families get reimbursed for the food they lost and push for a more transparent and accountable system for future outages.
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The Issue
On August 11, severe storms left hundreds of thousands of Indiana residents without power. For many families, the outage lasted for hours or even days, with thousands still without power. Homes were left without electricity, and families were forced to throw away food that spoiled while they waited for power to be restored. For families already dealing with the disruption of an extended outage, the financial loss from spoiled food added another burden.
These families should not be left to bear the financial consequences.
IMMEDIATE ACTION
We are demanding reimbursement for customers who lost food during the extended August 11 outages. Customers should not be forced to absorb the cost of hundreds of dollars in spoiled food because they were without power for an extended period.
FUTURE ACTION
1. Recognize food loss as a consequence of restoration time.
While the storm itself may be an act of nature, food loss is a consequence of how long customers remain without power and the utility’s response and restoration time.
2. Demand transparency and accountability in power restoration.
Utilities should establish clear, measurable criteria for determining which communities are restored first during major outages. Those decisions should be documented, and restoration priorities and performance should be made publicly available.
Customers deserve to know why one community gets power back before another, how restoration decisions are made, how long communities remain without power, and whether utilities are meeting their restoration standards.
Help the people affected now. Fix the system for the next outage.
This petition was created by Don’t Muzzle the Ox, a public advocacy initiative of Corepark. We began investigating NIPSCO and food loss from power outages earlier this summer after hearing from Indiana families who were forced to throw away hundreds of dollars in refrigerated and frozen food following repeated, extended outages.
Our investigation examines utility practices, cost recovery, consumer protections, and potential solutions for customers affected by prolonged outages.
Don’t Muzzle the Ox is dedicated to uncovering problems, amplifying the voices of those affected, and turning real-world issues into meaningful policy and legislative change.
Our goal with this campaign is simple: help Indiana families get reimbursed for the food they lost and push for a more transparent and accountable system for future outages.
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Petition created on August 20, 2026