April 7, 1999

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) will begin testing this spring the feasibility of using steel utility poles as a possible alternative replacement for wooden distribution poles.

During the week of April 5, NIPSCO workers will set in place 30 steel utility poles along White Oak Avenue, between 93^rd and 102^nd avenues, in southwest St. John, Ind., as part of its 1.75-mile expansion of a 12.5 KV service line out of the Palmira substation. The 40-foot high poles, with fiberglass cross arms, will look very similar to other wood utility poles in the area when installed.

The Palmira service line is being extended south to improve the area’s electrical system reliability and to accommodate increased electric demand in the future. The new service line is expected to be completed and operational by June 1.

NIPSCO engineers will monitor the program by comparing the installation and maintenance costs of steel poles with the costs of using traditional wooden poles.

"NIPSCO will determine if and where steel poles might be a better choice than wooden poles," said Don Tokoly, NIPSCO’s Engineering Manager.

The use of steel to hold up utility wires is not new to NIPSCO as it has purchased heavy duty steel towers in the past to hold up its high voltage transmission lines. In addition, NIPSCO purchased steel poles last year to replace several molded concrete poles that were destroyed during a winter storm along the Crown Point/Merrillville border in March 1998.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NIPSCO Industries, Inc. (NI), is a regulated utility that provides natural gas service to nearly 700,000 customers and electrical service to 416,000 customers across the northern third of Indiana. NIPSCO is the largest natural gas distribution company and the second largest electric distribution company in the state of Indiana. Information about NIPSCO Industries Inc., and its subsidiaries is available via the Internet at www.nipsco.com.