Dan Carden

Gov. Mike Braun will have the opportunity to exert his influence on Indiana's soaring energy costs after two of the state's five utility regulators announced Wednesday they are resigning their posts in October.

Wes Bennett, a member of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission since 2023, and Sarah Freeman, an IURC commissioner since 2016, are quitting next month instead of waiting for their terms to expire early next year.

Neither of the longtime public servants gave a specific reason why they're leaving early. IURC Chairman Jim Huston previously announced in May that he will also retire in January 2026, after more than a decade overseeing the state's utilities.

The exits give Braun, a Republican, the chance to appoint a majority of the IURC board amid growing public ou

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