Brandi
Davis-Handy
President, AES Indiana
Dear Community,
For close to a century, AES Indiana’s commitment to our customers and Central Indiana has gone far beyond providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions. Improving lives for our customers and community only starts at the flip of a switch. True impact happens when we mobilize our people power to go out to local community and senior centers to foster relationships and provide energy-saving tips. It happens when hundreds of our people roll up their sleeves and plant trees and paint murals in our parks. Impact also happens when we volunteer our time and talents to mentor youth and adults. Giving back is core to who we are and is at the heart of everything we do.
In 2023, AES Indiana maintained this commitment to the communities we serve by investing more than $2 million to organizations serving diverse customer needs. AES Indiana focuses on building long-term and meaningful strategic partnerships in the areas of education and workforce development, arts and culture, economic development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our community impact report highlights these efforts, including our growing focus on driving economic growth to ensure the long-term sustainability of our communities.
Our mission is to accelerate the future of energy and we can only do this by working for and beside our customers. In the past few years, our communities have experienced a lot of change. I’m proud of the work our team has done to navigate complex challenges, including diversifying our generation portfolio to cleaner and greener resources while maintaining the lowest rates of any investor-owned utility in Indiana. As you will read in our 2023 Community Impact Report, our people will continue to look for ways to better serve our customers, create exceptional experiences and lead a responsible and inclusive energy transition.
We thank our customers and stakeholders for the trust you have in us. Together, we are building a sustainable, more resilient community that benefits us all – Illuminating Central Indiana, All Together.
2023 Total investments
Percentage of total investments
Diversity, equity & inclusion
Percentages denote diversity-driven organization and programming in each investment category
AES Indiana does not pass on the cost of its community investments or advertising to customers.
AES Indiana is committed to strengthening the state and local economies by attracting new and growing business and retaining existing customers. AES Indiana is a critical infrastructure partner deeply engaged in economic and community development to support job creation and business development in the communities we serve. Together with partners, we work together as one team united by common goals and shared values to build for the future.
500 Festival Parade
In 2023, AES Indiana brought its people and community together to fuel May. To kick off the month of May, AES' line workers volunteered for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon bringing their bucket trucks around the race route serving as mile markers for runners and walkers.
The theme “Fueling May” brought more than 200,000 people All Together for the AES 500 Festival Parade to celebrate the race’s long history and momentum. AES’ 85-foot-long float, themed “Fueling Indy,” featured wind turbines and solar panels around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument paying homage to our commitment to community-driven power. The parade serves as a platform showcasing the City of Indianapolis to Indiana residents and the thousands of tourists that visit for the Indy 500. Each year, more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $500 million in economic value to Indianapolis.
AES Indiana celebrated the many ways it powers the community by highlighting longstanding community partners, including featuring members from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and GANGGANG to join AES on the float.
Polymer Center/Blue Polymers project
An example of our involvement in our community's economic development is the Polymer Center/Blue Polymers project, a partnership between Republic Services, Ravago and Blue Polymers. The Indianapolis recycling complex on the south side will include two buildings totaling about 286,000 square feet and an estimated 125 permanent and highly skilled local jobs. The economic multiplier effect of this project will create more than 100 indirect jobs and millions of dollars of additional investment throughout the community.
AES Indiana Yuletide Celebration
For nine seasons, AES Indiana has continued its support of the annual holiday tradition, AES Indiana Yuletide Celebration. In 2023, the quintessential Hoosier holiday tradition featured Broadway star, Ben Crawford, MOIPEI and the dance troupe Expressenz. More than 41,000 people were drawn to downtown Indianapolis to experience the magic of AES Indiana Yuletide Celebration through 30 performances at the historic Hilbert Circle Theatre.
By the numbers:
63
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians
52
vocalists, dancers and actors
49
crew members and production staff
350+
costumes
AES Indiana BUTTER
AES Indiana was the Title Sponsor of the third annual BUTTER, the annual multi-day art fair for equity. BUTTER is produced by GANGGANG, a cultural development firm that activates the creative economy to center beauty, equity and culture to bring people together. In 2023, BUTTER featured 49 artists, four galleries and six curators that were recognized on local and national levels. BUTTER raised nearly $300,000 in sales with 100 percent going back to the Black artists featured at the art fair. BUTTER broke all previous sales and attendance records – and doubled the average price per artwork sold during the week. GANGGANG and the BUTTER art fair are activating and growing the creative economy in Indianapolis by advocating for artists and supporting the discovery of new artistic talent.
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB)
Together, AES Indiana and KIB are creating vibrant places and communities to help Indy thrive. The AES Indiana Project GreenSpace, a KIB program, turns vacant lots into functional community spaces, such as pocket parks or outdoor classrooms. Alongside researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, KIB has been studying greenspaces and their potential impact on violence reduction. This recent study found a 12 percent reduction in gun violence within a half-mile radius of areas where KIB has created GreenSpaces.
Community members can submit their neighborhood for consideration and, if selected, applicants work with KIB and landscape architects to create a design that captures the sense of spirit and pride of their local neighborhood.
Day in the Parks
Part of what makes our company a great place to work is our willingness to come together and create opportunities to improve the lives of our customers and make lasting impacts in our communities. In 2023, AES Indiana completed a two-year partnership with Washington Park for our annual service day, AES Indiana Day in the Parks. More than 100 AES Indiana employees spent two days volunteering for activities designed by local artist Ashley Nora that included painting a new mural in the gymnasium and mulching and removing invasive species and plants outside. AES Indiana funded renovations to the main entryway, kitchen and fitness center, allowing the Family Center to continue to serve thousands of neighbors in the community. For 13 years, AES Indiana has remained committed to beautifying parks in the communities we serve.
Indy Free Tree
Since 2008, AES Indiana has worked with community partners on Arbor Day to give away more than 12,000 trees. AES Indiana celebrates Arbor Day each year with the annual Indy Free Tree event to support ongoing sustainability efforts. In 2023, 850 trees were distributed on Earth Day at the JCC event and the following Indy Parks: Riverside, Grassy Creek, Southeast Parkway, Sahm’s, Garfield and Eagle Creek. Trees were distributed to neighbors at their local park with helpful information on tree planting techniques and energy efficiency tips.
Power of Change
AES Indiana completed its fourth year of Power of Change, a program designed to help warm the homes of those struggling to pay their winter heating bills. Power of Change helps income-qualified customers with a one-time grant to assist with electric bill payments. Through the Dollar Energy Fund, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, contributors can make tax-deductible gifts that help their neighbors keep their lights on and their furnace running.
212
households received a grant in 2023
$44,322
donated to support customers
Utilities Unite
Entering the second year in partnership with Citizens Energy Group, AES Indiana promoted Utilities Unite, a joint public awareness campaign to educate customers about energy assistance programs and resources available in preparation for winter-heating bills. Throughout the campaign, both utilities were able to reach more than 120,000 customers through social media posts, media coverage, customer communications bill inserts and emails and onsite activations at community centers and gathering spaces around the city.
Dress for Success
AES Indiana celebrated Women’s History Month by hosting a clothing drive at various AES Indiana locations for Dress for Success, an organization dedicated to empowering women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Throughout the month, employees brought in gently-used clothing, work boots and other requested items to support the Dress for Success mission. AES Indiana serves as a Leadership Partner at Dress for Success, aligned with their mission to be the light for over 1,000 women and provide funding to guide them towards economic independence.
Girls on the Run
The Women’s Networking Group (WNG), an Employee Resource Group of AES Indiana, worked with Girls on the Run (GOTR) of Central Indiana for their Spring and Fall 5k Celebrations. GOTR is a national nonprofit organization focused on inspiring girls, grades 3-5, to build confidence and make intentional decisions while fostering care and compassion for self and others. Crossing the finish line for participants instills confidence while celebrating the season's conclusion. Thirteen volunteers from AES Indiana donated their time to support the races to help develop the girls of our future and make an impact in the communities we serve.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
AES Indiana has served as the presenting sponsor of the Big Futures career and college readiness program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana since 2016. Since then, thousands of young people have and will continue to benefit from college visits, sessions about scholarships and workshops. These programs are providing workforce readiness and skill development, fostering stronger connections with communities by bringing together mentors, mentees, families and volunteers and therefore developing the City’s future workforce.
Pass the Torch for Women
For the second year in a row, AES Indiana sponsored the Pass the Torch for Women Foundation's annual event, Pass the Mic, presented by AES. This event is focused on bringing together female entrepreneurs, creatives, and community leaders. More than 150 people attended the event, raising over $29,000 for the Pass the Torch for Women Foundation. Pass the Torch for Women empowers women through mentoring, connecting, and investing in them at all stages of their careers.
Building lights
Since 1954, AES Indiana's window light displays have been used to support meaningful events and organizations that impact lives locally in Central Indiana, nationally, and internationally.
Each of the 276 energy-efficient, long lasting LED lights fixed on the exterior of the building’s headquarters work each night to radiate positive messages, images, or a combination of both to bring to our community. Our window lights have become a staple of Monument Circle's scenery. Iconic displays, such as the checkered flag during the month of May, logos to cheer on our local sports teams and other images that promote the rich culture in Indianapolis, attract visitors for photo and video opportunities. We encourage those visiting our window light displays to share their stories on social media using the hashtag #AESINlights.
United Way employee giving campaign
AES Indiana continued its annual tradition by donating over $300k to a variety of causes within the United Way of Central Indiana through its employee giving campaign. Throughout the campaign week, AES employees learned more about the impact of United Way and its network of nonprofit partners tackling the most complex issues in the community.
More than 250 AES employees participated in the virtual kickoff, BINGO, and in-person activities during the two-week campaign, coming All Together, for a great cause.
Board affiliations
Our AES Indiana people serve in the community through a variety of board appointments at organizations such as Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, IndyHub, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Horizon House, Dress for Success, The Parks Alliance, Indiana Sports Corporation, and the 500 Festival to name a few. We are proud of the many ways that our people support the community we serve.
Great place to work
For the second consecutive year, AES Indiana has achieved a Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification in the US. A great place to work is built on a culture of trust and transparency. GPTW is a third-party certification, determined by employees and how they perceive their employer and experience at a company. The analysis considers the daily experiences of how our company lives by its values, people's ability to contribute new ideas, and the effectiveness of leaders. This achievement represents the culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people. All Together we can continue taking steps to strengthen that culture at all levels of the organization in 2023 and beyond.
Smart Grid
In 2023, AES Indiana's Smart Grid Initiative, now in its fifth year, reached significant milestones in grid modernization and service enhancement. The complete rollout of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), also known as Smart Meters, across the service area marks a major advancement in customer engagement and energy management.
Key infrastructure developments included the rebuilding of 208 miles of 15kV circuits and the installation of over 40 miles of static wire to enhance system resilience. Additionally, the upgrade of four 16kV circuits to 15kV capacity has strengthened the grid's robustness, supporting the growing community.
Emphasizing innovation, the adoption of AI technology for proactive vegetation management has significantly reduced the risk of power outages.
AES Indiana reached the following project-to-date milestones of Smart Grid at the end of 2023:
208 miles
15kV Circuit rebuild
43 projects
Substation asset replacements
271,277 meters
Replaced
16 circuits
4kV Conversions
2,319,455 linear feet
XLPE cable replacement
40 miles
Static wire improvement
352,044 linear feet
Overhead to underground service
1,211 poles
Pole replacement
665 towers
Steel tower life extension
678 reclosers
Distribution automation
Energy efficiency
AES Indiana offers several energy efficiency programs to empower customers to reduce energy usage, such as virtual and in-home energy assessments, home improvement rebates and discounts, and PowerView, a tool to see how and when customers use the most energy. Customers who meet income requirements can receive free in-home energy assessments and upgrades that can help decrease energy bills and increase comfort.
In 2023
4,024 free energy efficiency kits were distributed
173,278 energy efficiency items were distributed through AES Indiana's Food Pantry program
6,616 rebates distributed for energy efficient appliances and home improvements totaling $253,511
1,937 no-cost home energy assessments were provided to residential customers
15,362 energy efficient items were installed to 3,080 multifamily housing units
In 2023, AES Indiana’s Residential Energy Efficiency program reduced electricity usage equal to the following:
6,684
Metric tons of CO2
656,556
Gallons of gasoline consumed for one year
1,453
Passenger vehicles driven for one year
1,214
Homes' electric use for one year
AES Indiana also offers energy efficiency programs, including products and services, to help eligible commercial, industrial and nonprofit customers save energy.
In 2023, commercial, industrial and nonprofit customers saved:
317,283 kWh
energy/day
81,889
Metric tons CO2
9,650,701 kWh
energy/month
Learn more about “Ways to save for your business” here, including no-cost energy assessments and installation of efficient products for small business to large customer commercial and industrial projects.
Electrification
AES Indiana is transitioning to a smarter and greener energy future with the electrification of its fleet. AES people who use electric vehicles (EVs) are trained in fleet electrification operations and management. Currently, there are 57 vehicles, with the goal of continued expansion. Fleet electrification is defined as the transition of fleet vehicles from internal combustion engines (ICE) to zero-emission electric vehicles. Fleets can be comprised of passenger vehicles used as cars, SUVs, vans, trucks and heavy-duty trucks.
Enhancing the electric grid
LineVision completed an installation of its patented non-contact sensors on transmission towers owned by AES Ohio and AES Indiana as part of a joint project to assess how Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs), like Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR), may increase transmission capacity on the power grid. The data gathered will be used to evaluate how the transmission network can be optimized to safely maximize capacity and integrate renewable power generation. DLRs are calculated using real-time field measurements and conductor position to determine the maximum carrying capacity of the transmission line, enabling grid operators like AES Indiana to dynamically optimize power flow on the grid. With this project, AES Indiana will be able to extract more value from their existing assets, better serving their customers.
