Duke CEO's Meeting With Indiana Governor Draws Scrutiny

Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers met with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels last year as costs for a new power plant were spiraling out of control, the Indianapolis Star reports. The power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana, has been controversial. Its price tag has jumped from $1.9 billion to $3.3 billion, and Duke wants customers to help pay for that cost. According to documents obtained by the Indianapolis Star, Rogers wanted Daniels to meet with executives of the main subcontractors for the plant's construction. Daniels did not take him up on the offer. However, according to the newspaper's report, some critics says the suggestion of such a meeting was wrong because Duke was trying to get rate hikes approved to help fund the plant's construction. The Indiana Regulatory Utilities Commission is now holding hearings to determine if Duke mismanaged the plant's construction and concealed information from regulators.