Quarterlytics / Utilities / Regulated Gas / NiSource

NiSource

ni · NYSE Utilities
Claim this profile
Ticker ni
Exchange NYSE
Sector Utilities
Industry Regulated Gas
Employees 5001-10,000
← All annual reports
FY2020 Annual Report · NiSource
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
DEEPENING

OUR

COMMITMENTS

2020 INTEG R ATED  A N N UA L  R EPO RT

M E S S A G E   F R O M   O U R   C E O

2020

WAS A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER, WITH A 
TUMULTUOUS EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 
THAT CHALLENGED OUR COMPANY, OUR 
INDUSTRY AND OUR COUNTRY.

THROUGHOUT THESE SERIOUS 
CHALLENGES, the NiSource team stayed 
focused on our mission and accomplished so 
much.

•  We adjusted on short notice to a new way 
of working when the COVID-19 pandemic 
emerged, and we maintained safety for our 
employees, and safe, reliable service for 
our customers, while also supporting our 
impacted customers by suspending shut 
offs, stopping late fees and offering flexible 
payment plans.

•  We continued to invest in our safety and 

asset modernization programs across our 
gas and electric businesses.

•  We advanced our coal-to-clean energy 
transition plan, completing our first two 
wind projects and initiating work on a 
significant portfolio of new renewable 
generation investment opportunities.

•  We launched our transformative NiSource 

Next initiative to support our core 
commitments to safety and sustainable 
energy, while building organizational 
capabilities and maintaining affordability for 
customers.

•  We completed the sale of the Columbia 

Gas of Massachusetts (CMA) business in 
eight months.

•  We publicly pledged our commitment 

against systemic racism, and engaged 
with our employees to better inform our 
approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

•  We updated our long-term growth plan, 

which is expected to deliver 7 to 9 percent 
compound annual non-GAAP EPS growth 
from 2021 through 2024. 

Throughout 2020 NiSource employees 
rose to every challenge and opportunity 
with a deepened commitment to all of our 
stakeholders – our customers, the communities 
we serve, our colleagues and our investors.

The foundation for our future is strong. 
NiSource is a 100 percent regulated gas and 
electric utility, with significant scale across 
six states. Our footprint is located close to 
abundant, low-cost gas resources, and our 
investments and cost recovery programs are 
supported by favorable energy policies and 
constructive regulatory environments.

We have a clear path to sustain growth, with 
approximately $40 billion in long-term 

Employee Photo on Cover: JOSE DIAZ, Service Technician

SERVING NEARLY 

4M NATURAL GAS

AND ELECTRIC
CUSTOMERS

ACROSS SIX STATES UNDER 
OUR COLUMBIA GAS AND 
NIPSCO BRANDS

A NiSource Company

investment opportunities, backed by well-
established capital programs with a track 
record of timely cost recovery.

Safety is our foundational commitment. 
Our Safety Management System (SMS) 
implementation has advanced and matured 
and become the core operating model of the 
company. Our adoption of SMS is driving daily 
decisions and has enhanced how we identify 
and prioritize investments to drive measurable 
risk reduction and safety enhancements. You’ll 
see an acceleration of our safety plan in 2021, 
an effort we’re calling SMS in Action.

Transitioning to more sustainable energy 
remains a core commitment. Our renewable 
energy investments in Indiana, as well as 
our gas pipeline modernization investments 
across our footprint, will drive a 90 percent 
reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by 
2030. The progress we’re making against our 
sustainability strategy earned us a spot on the 
Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index 
for the seventh consecutive year in 2020, and 
we’re honored to once again be included on 
this international benchmark.

Investments in safety and sustainable energy 
are also an earnings driver. As outlined at 
our September 2020 Investor Day, we plan to 

make growth, safety and asset modernization 
investments of $1.9 to $2.2 billion annually from 
2021 through 2024, as well as $1.8 to $2 billion 
in renewable generation investments through 
2023. These investments are expected to drive 
compound annual rate base growth of 10 to 12 
percent through 2024. 

We expect to grow our non-GAAP net 
operating earnings per share by 7 to 9 percent 
on a compound annual growth rate basis 
from 2021 through 2024, including near-term 
annual growth of 5 to 7 percent through 2023. 
We plan to grow our dividend to maintain our 
targeted 60 to 70 percent payout ratio, and 
we plan to finance our growth in a balanced 
way that’s focused on maintaining our 
current investment grade credit ratings. Cost 
initiatives under NiSource Next are expected 
to help offset future inflationary pressure and 
allow for relatively flat annual operating and 
maintenance expenses from 2021 through 
2024.

FUTURE OF NATUR AL GAS
We and other natural gas utilities have faced 
questions about the sustainability of natural 
gas in a decarbonizing economy. At NiSource, 
we are bullish on natural gas and believe that 
natural gas will continue to play a critical role in 
the clean energy transition.

systems. As always, throughout this transition, 
ensuring safety, reliability and affordability 
for our customers will be at the core of our 
thinking.

2021 AND BEYOND
Despite the challenges of 2020, our results 
demonstrated the resilience of our business, 
as well as our people. We deepened our 
commitment to continually improving the safety, 
reliability and environmental performance of 
our systems, service quality for our customers, 
our employee experience and increasing  
value for all stakeholders.

Our plan is guided by our skilled, independent  
and diverse Board of Directors with their depth 
of experience as well as by our executive 
leadership team, which was realigned in 2020 
to support execution of our long-term strategic 
priorities. NiSource Next will further optimize 
our organization and empower our people to 
drive these priorities forward and position us 
to capitalize on the robust long-term growth 
opportunities that lie ahead.

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

As I noted earlier, the fundamentals of natural 
gas are strong in our footprint with abundant 
shale gas supplies and policy support for gas 
in our states. It’s also important to know that 
gas is the most affordable heating source in the 
Midwest, which is important to our customers. 
And natural gas remains in demand in our 
footprint, as we saw a net addition of more than 
30,000 new gas customers in 2020.

Through our pipeline modernization programs, 
we have reduced methane emissions from 
our mains and service lines by nearly 40 
percent since 2005. At the same time, we are 
studying options for decarbonizing and further 
reducing emissions over time. This could 
include blending renewable natural gas (RNG) 
or hydrogen into the gas stream, as well as 
offering enhanced energy efficiency programs.

We believe that sustaining the life of gas 
infrastructure helps retain value for customers 
as a critical part of the overall energy supply 
system. As we evolve the nation’s energy 
supply systems toward a cleaner future, the 
importance of diversity to enhance reliability 
and resilience is paramount, and in this context 
the nation’s natural gas infrastructure can and 
should play a key and differentiated role based 
on the unique operating characteristics of the 
system. Among those unique characteristics 
are the ability to store energy and provide on-
demand access to supply whenever needed. 
In addition, through expansion of renewable 
natural gas supplies and potentially blending 
of hydrogen, this clean energy source can play 
a more significant role in the economy-wide 
transition to clean energy, including as a key 
part of an electrification plan through enhanced 
coordination between gas and electric supply 

Net operating earnings per share (non-GAAP); for a  
reconciliation to GAAP, see Schedule 1 on page 26.  
See also Regulation G statement on the inside back cover.

JOE HAMROCK
President and CEO
NiSource Inc.

BOARD OF  
DIRECTORS

Kevin T. Kabat 
Chairman of the Board, NiSource and Retired 
Vice Chairman and CEO, Fifth Third Bancorp

Peter A. Altabef 
Chairman and CEO, Unisys Corporation

Theodore H. Bunting, Jr. 
Retired Group Vice President, Utility 
Operations, Entergy Corporation

Eric L. Butler 
President and CEO, Aswani-Butler Investment 
Associates and Retired Executive Vice 
President, Union Pacific Corporation

Aristides S. Candris 
Retired President and CEO,  
Westinghouse Electric Company

Wayne S. DeVeydt 
Executive Chairman of the Board,  
Surgery Partners, Inc.

Joseph Hamrock 
President and CEO, NiSource Inc.

Deborah A. Henretta 
Partner, G100 Companies and Retired Group 
Vice President, Procter & Gamble Co.

Deborah A. P. Hersman 
Former Chief Safety Officer, Waymo LLC  
and Former Chair, National Transportation 
Safety Board (NTSB)

Michael E. Jesanis 
Retired President and CEO,  
National Grid USA

Carolyn Y. Woo 
Retired President and CEO, Catholic Relief 
Services

Lloyd M. Yates 
Retired Executive Vice President, Customer 
and Delivery Operations and President, 
Carolinas Region, Duke Energy Corporation

BOARD OF DIRECTORS  
DIVERSITY STATS  
(As of March 1, 2021)

12 Total  
75% Men, 25% Women, 33% Minorities

EXECUTIVE 
LEADERSHIP TEAM

Joseph Hamrock 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Donald E. Brown 
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and 
President, NiSource Corporate Services 

Pablo A. Vegas 
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and 
President, NiSource Utilities

Anne-Marie D’Angelo 
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and  
Corporate Secretary

Violet G. Sistovaris 
Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer

Chuck Shafer 
Senior Vice President and Chief Safety Officer

Shawn Anderson 
Senior Vice President, Strategy and Chief Risk Officer

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM 
DIVERSITY STATS 
(As of March 1, 2021)

7 Total 
71% Men, 29% Women, 43% Minorities

QUALITY REVIEW BOARD

Ray LaHood 
Quality Review Board Chair 
Former Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Transportation

John Cox 
President and CEO, Safety Operating Systems 

John Durham 
Retired Director, ENERCON Services

Blanton Godfrey  
Joseph D. Moore Distinguished University Professor 
of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management, 
Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State 
University

Cynthia Quarterman 
Former Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration

Jeff Wiese 
Vice President, TRC Companies

 
 
C H A I R M A N ’ S   L E T T E R

DEDICATION TO SAFETY 
AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 

As Joe Hamrock noted in his letter to you, 2020 was certainly a year that posed serious 
challenges, but also one during which the NiSource team demonstrated its dedication to 
safety and customer service and the resilience of our business. We maintained safe, reliable 
service during the historic COVID-19 pandemic, we executed on our safety and asset 
modernization programs and we significantly advanced our coal-to-clean energy transition 
plan in our electric business marked by completion of our first two wind projects.

But equally as important was the work we did to begin positioning the company to execute 
on the tremendous growth opportunities that lie ahead of us. At our Investor Day in 
September, we laid out one of the strongest long-term growth plans in our industry, with 
around $10 billion in investments from 2021 through 2024. About 80 percent of that planned 
investment is in our well-established safety and asset modernization programs, and it is 
enhanced by about $2 billion in renewable energy investment opportunities. 

These capital investments are expected to drive 7 to 9 percent compound annual growth 
in our non-GAAP net operating earnings per share during the same period, which places 
NiSource among a small group of utilities poised for such strong growth. We are also among 
the industry leaders in emissions reductions targets, as our investments in our electric and 
gas systems are expected to drive a 90 percent reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions 
by 2030. This is an exciting and transformative plan, and the board is confident that Joe and 
his senior management team, with continued engagement by the board, will execute on it.

Our independent board has been refreshed in recent years, and includes a balance of 
tenures with nine of its 12 members having served five years or less. In 2020 Lloyd Yates, 
a former senior executive with Duke Energy, joined our board adding substantial utility 
expertise and customer focus, further diversifying the board.

The board remains engaged on our core commitments to safety and enhancing the 
sustainability of our business. NiSource is one of few companies among its peers with 
a board committee dedicated to safety and sustainability. Our Environmental, Safety & 
Sustainability (ESS) Committee was founded more than 10 years ago to oversee programs, 
performance and risks related to ESS matters. Chaired by Aris Candris, a veteran of the 
nuclear industry, among its members are former 
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Deborah 
Hersman, who joined the NiSource board in 2019.

With COVID-19 presenting barriers to many 
volunteering activities that our employees typically 
participate in, we found new ways to meet needs in 
our communities in 2020. For instance, the NiSource 
Charitable Foundation donated $1.5 million to COVID-19 relief efforts, including $1 million  

to the American Red Cross that enabled it to continue to provide crucial blood services 
to hospitals throughout our service territory in the midst of the pandemic. That helped drive 
charitable giving of $7.4 million to non-profits across our footprint in 2020, an example of our 
focus on social responsibility. And our employees – many of whom made personal sacrifices to 
help maintain customer service during the pandemic – still managed to volunteer 8,000 hours at 
local nonprofits.

Thanks for your interest in NiSource. Be assured that the Board of Directors will continue to 
remain engaged with Joe and his team in a common effort to enhance value for shareholders 
and all stakeholders.

KEVIN KABAT 
Chairman of the Board
NiSource Inc.

WHAT’S  
INSIDE

CHAMPIONING SAFETY 

TRANSFORMING OUR ELECTRIC BUSINESS  

PRESERVING OUR ENVIRONMENT 

SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES 

EMPOWERING OUR TEAM 

FOCUSING ON OUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 

6

10

13

16

20

24

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MARIE AUTULLO
Service Technician

CHAMPIONING

SAFETY

Our relentless focus on safety is producing 
results, with improvements in key metrics during 
2020. Our Safety Management System (SMS) 
has become our core operating model – driving 
daily decisions as well as producing investment 
opportunities in the areas of risk reduction and 
safety – and we are aligning our overall safety 
focus with the elements of SMS to strengthen the 
safety culture throughout the entire organization. 

We call it “SMS in Action”: processes that 
identify risks and opportunities, establish rigor 
and accountability for performance and provide 
additional layers of protection to keep our 
employees, customers and communities safe. For 
example, employees reported more than 2,500 
risks through our Corrective Action Program, 
designed to drive continuous improvement in 
safety. Investigation and analysis of these risks 
drove process changes, identified areas for 
investment or revealed opportunities for 
asset management enhancements. 

We’re continuing to move forward in all 
areas of safety. Our Know Your HomeSM 
program is making customers our 
partners in safety, by educating them 
about potential hazards at home and how 
to stay safe. Automatic shutoff devices 
now protect 70 percent of our low 
pressure gas systems. Our partnership 
with peer gas and electric companies in a 
new SMS collaborative will bring greater 
insights, and more. 

█ 6

C H A M P I O N I N G   S A F E T Y

KEY SAFETY 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2020

REDUCING damages to our 
facilities by 8 percent, through advanced 
analytics in our Damage Prevention Risk 
Model, targeted strategies and mobile 
tools to provide damage prevention 
opportunities to employees in real time. 

INITIATING advanced 
leak surveys utilizing mobile Picarro 
technology, 1,000 times more sensitive 
than conventional technology and proven 
to drive down risk. In addition to leakage 
management, this improved information 
drives prioritized pipeline replacement and 
reduces methane emissions. 

ACHIEVING ISO 9001 
certification for our Gas Meter Shops and 
Gas Fabrication Shop, a strong first step in 
a continuing quality effort.

COMPLETING the final 
recommendation of the National 
Transportation Safety Board following 
the 2018 event in Massachusetts and 
instituting quality measures which continue 
to mature our engineering, construction, 
records management, and emergency 
planning and response processes. 

EXPANDING the scope of our 
Safety Management System to include 
all gas and electric assets, operational 
processes and all aspects of safety 
including occupational and environmental 
safety.

ADOPTING the Gold 
Shovel Standard for ourselves and 
our excavation contractors, joining a 
comprehensive national effort to drive 
down infrastructure damage incidents.

ENHANCING more than 200 
gas operating standards, to increase 
safety, add layers of protection and 
integrate employee feedback on 
improvement opportunities. 

IMPROVING the visibility 
of gas facilities through the Service 
Line Mapping enhancement program, 
which enhances emergency response, 
damage prevention, engineering design 
and other critical processes. 

INSTITUTING an enhanced 
Management of Change process 
and standard across the company to 
support identification and mitigation 
of unintended risks associated with 
change.

ALIGNING API RP 1173 
(pipeline safety management systems) 
requirements into contractual process 
for pipeline construction contractor 
partners.

█ 7

AN EX TR A L AYER OF SAFET Y
The Clearance Coordination Center in our gas 
business functions like an airport control tower: 
No work can be done at our pressure regulator 
stations until the center verifies appropriate safety 
precautions are in place. Their work increases 
operational rigor and provides an extra layer of 
safety for critical work activities. System impact, 
risk mitigation, process safety, scope of work and 
job site information – all must be confirmed before 
work is authorized. 

On an average day, the Center receives 300-400 
calls from employees, contractors and upstream 
providers. This is part of a comprehensive 
framework of protection which tracks and 
authorizes work, establishes step-by-step 
checkpoints and details consistent steps. And, it 
will feed further safety improvements: information 
gathered from these interactions will drive 
predictive and proactive metrics.

In 2020, NiSource made incredible 
progress in building the Quality 
Management System and I have been 
particularly impressed on how they have 
integrated it with the Safety Management 
System.

ELIZABETH BERTKE
Senior Operations Support Specialist

QUALIT Y MANAGEMENT 
SYSTEM (QMS)

Our Quality Management System (QMS) 
will create repeatable, sustainable 
processes and procedures across 
the NiSource footprint. The goal is to 
establish a continuously improving 
organization by focusing on quality, 
safety, training and relentless customer 
value. Earning ISO 9001 certification 
for our gas meter shops and fabrication 
shop provides a template for future 
benchmarking efforts.

Statistician and quality management 
consultant Blanton Godfrey has joined 
our Quality Review Board to support our 
QMS implementation.

Blanton Godfrey  
Joseph D. Moore Distinguished University 
Professor of Textile and Apparel Technology and 
Management, Wilson College of Textiles, North 
Carolina State University

█ 8

C H A M P I O N I N G   S A F E T Y

IDENTIF YING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
We’re making informed, risk-based investments to modernize our gas and electric systems. SMS 
processes have identified opportunities for investments with a goal of reducing risk and adding 
layers of protection. One example is remote monitoring capabilities. NiSource plans to equip 100 
percent of our gas systems with remote monitoring equipment. This equipment is designed to 
provide an early warning of safety and reliability concerns before our customers are affected. We 
estimate $120 million in capital investment over 15 years to fully implement this capability. In-line 
inspection of gas transmission pipelines is another safety investment priority. These inspections, 
using devices known as “smart pigs,” can detect damage and corrosion from inside the pipeline. To 
reach our target of performing in line inspections on 80 percent of our transmission lines, we will 
retrofit some lines with pig launchers/receivers and replace some elbows, fittings and valves. This 
investment is estimated at $500 million over 15 years.   

SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE  
INVESTMENTS BY THE NUMBERS

$40B   

IN IDENTIFIED LONG-
TERM INVESTMENTS

~$1.7B  

INVESTED IN GAS AND ELECTRIC 
SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE 
MODERNIZATION PROGRAMS IN 2020

1,380  

ELECTRIC POLES 
REPLACED IN 2020

37  
MILES  

OF UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC 
CABLE REPLACED IN 2020

274  
MILES  

OF PRIORITY PIPE 
REPLACED IN 2020

~70%  

OF LOW-PRESSURE GAS SYSTEMS PROTECTED 
WITH AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF DEVICES

█ 9

TRANSFORMING  
OUR ELECTRIC BUSINESS

We remain committed to positioning our electric 
business for long-term growth. We took a 
significant step forward with the completion of 
our first two renewable projects in late 2020 
– Rosewater Wind and Jordan Creek Wind. 
These two projects mark a concrete step in our 
generation transition. This transition will result in 
a more sustainable energy mix – reliable energy 
at lower costs for customers and improved 
environmental performance. 

Branded “Your Energy, Your Future,” this long-
term electric generation strategy guides us to 
being 100 percent coal-free by 2028, and along 
the way we plan to retire nearly 80 percent of 
our coal-fired electric generation by 2023. The 
plan is also expected to save NIPSCO electric 
customers more than $4 billion over 30 years 
and is expected to be a key element of a 90 
percent reduction in our greenhouse gas 
emissions by 2030 (from a base year 
of 2005). More broadly, it has created 
incremental investment opportunities for 
NiSource, with $1.8 to $2 billion in planned 
renewable energy investments through 
2023.

█ 10

T R A N S F O R M I N G   O U R   E L E C T R I C   B U S I N E S S

Using an innovative approach, NIPSCO’s 2018 Integrated Resource Plan, informed by an all-
source request for proposals (RFP) process where hundreds of scenarios were considered, 
showed that shifting away from coal and bringing on generating resources like wind, solar 
and battery technology made both economic and environmental sense. Those findings were 
reaffirmed in our second RFP process completed in late 2019. 

Our Indiana electric team executed seven additional renewable agreements in 2020 – a mix 
of build-transfer agreements and power purchase agreements focused on solar energy and 
battery storage technology. We petitioned the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) 
for $900 million of solar and storage capital expenditures, while also seeking approval for three 
power purchase agreements. At press time, advanced commercial negotiations continued on 
additional solar capacity representing substantial capital investment opportunities for NiSource.

PROJECT

MW

COUNTY

IN SERVICE

LAPORTE

102MW

WHITE

COMPLETE

400MW

BENTON 
WARREN

COMPLETE

JASPER

ROSEWATER 
WIND

JORDAN CREEK 
WIND

INDIANA 
CROSSROADS 
WIND

DUNNS BRIDGE 
SOLAR I

BRICKYARD 
SOLAR

GREENSBORO 
SOLAR

DUNNS BRIDGE 
SOLAR II

CAVALRY
SOLAR

GIBSON
SOLAR

GREEN RIVER 
SOLAR

200MW

HENRY

BRECKINRIDGE 
MEADE 
(KENTUCKY)

300MW

WHITE

265MW

JASPER

200MW

BOONE

100MW 
+ 30MW 
BATTERY

435MW 
+ 75MW 
BATTERY

200MW 
+ 60MW 
BATTERY

JASPER

2023

WHITE

280MW

GIBSON

VIGO

2023

2023

2021

2022

2022

2022

2023

WHITE

BENTON

CARROLL

WARREN

BOONE

HENRY

GENERATION 
FACILITIES

MICHIGAN CITY 
RETIRING 2028

R.M. SCHAHFER 
RETIRING 2023

MW

FUEL

COUNTY

469MW

COAL

LAPORTE

1,780MW

COAL

JASPER

GIBSON

SUGAR CREEK

535MW

NATURAL 
GAS

VIGO

NORWAY HYDRO

7.2MW

WATER

WHITE

OAKDALE HYDRO

9.2MW

WATER

CARROLL

MEADE

KENTUCKY
COUNTIES

BRECKINRIDGE

█ 11

We are proud to partner with industry-leading renewable energy developers – EDP Renewables 
North America, NextEra Energy Resources and Capital Dynamics – to support us bringing our 
plans from paper to reality with proven technologies. 

Also supporting our transformation are our tax equity partners. By using tax equity partners 
that are currently able to utilize the tax benefits more efficiently than NiSource, we are able 
to provide electricity to NIPSCO customers at a lower cost versus traditional ownership. This 
use of tax equity structure was used with our completed Rosewater Wind Farm and is a first in 
Indiana and one of the earliest examples of a utility engaging in such a structure in the country.

This investment in new generation brings economic benefits to the state of Indiana including 
both construction and long-term operating and maintenance jobs, along with enhancing the 
local county tax base. 

NIPSCO will refresh its long term generation strategy as part of its 2021 Integrated Resource 
Plan. The process involves extensive analysis of a range of scenarios and futures for electric 
generation with involvement from a broad range of stakeholders. 
The stakeholder process kicked off in March 2021 with the 
final submission to the IURC by November 2021.

While we focus on advancing our generation 
strategy, we also remain committed to maintaining 
and upgrading our electric transmission 
and distribution system. Our seven-year 
infrastructure modernization program, 
originally approved by the IURC in 2016, 
includes about $1.2 billion in expected 
investments through 2022 to further improve 
system safety and reliability. In 2020, we 
replaced 37 miles of underground electric 
cable and nearly 1,400 electric poles as part 
of this program.

White County has hosted wind farms for more than a decade, and we’re happy 
to see the latest project, NIPSCO’s Rosewater Wind Farm, fully constructed and 
generating clean energy for my fellow Hoosiers. The wind farms have provided 
reliable investments and a strong tax base for our county, and the economic boost 
from Rosewater Wind Farm was a bright spot during an extremely challenging year.

Steve Burton 
White County, Indiana Comissioner

█ 12

 
PRESERVING OUR 
ENVIRONMENT

We are committed to delivering energy safely, reliably and in an environmentally responsible 
and sustainable way. Last year we continued reducing our impact to the environment, 
while at the same time remaining committed to our aggressive greenhouse gas and other 
environmental reduction targets. We plan to achieve our goals by executing on approximately 
$40 billion of long-term infrastructure and safety investments over 20 years. 

We continue on track to retire all of our coal-fired electric generation by 2028 and replace that 
capacity with lower-cost, cleaner energy sources. This is projected to result in tremendous 
emissions reductions: By 2030 ‒ compared with a base year of 2005 ‒ we expect to have 
a 90 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a 100 percent reduction of coal ash 
generated, and a 99 percent reduction of water withdrawal, wastewater discharge, nitrogen 
oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury air emissions. At the same time, our plans are anticipated 
to result in long-term cost savings of more than $4 billion for our electric customers over  
30 years.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TARGETS

PROGRESS THROUGH

2020 

% REDUCTIONS  
FROM 2005 LEVELS

TARGET

2025  

% REDUCTIONS  
FROM 2005 LEVELS

TARGET

2030  

% REDUCTIONS  
FROM 2005 LEVELS

METHANE FROM MAINS 
AND SERVICES

GREENHOUSE GAS 
(NISOURCE)

NITROGEN OXIDES (NOX)

SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO2)

MERCURY

WATER WITHDRAWAL

WATER DISCHARGE

COAL ASH GENERATED

39%

63%

89%

98%
96%
91%
95%
71%

50% 

ON TARGET

50%
90% 

ON TARGET

90%
90%
90%
90%
60%

50%+

90%

99%

99%
99%
99%
99%
100%

ON TARGET

█ 13

Through our modernization programs and efforts 
through U.S. EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Methane 
Challenge Program, we have reduced pipeline 
methane emissions by 39 percent compared to 
2005 levels. We remain on track to reach our 50 
percent methane reduction target by 2025. We 
also want to help customers reduce their carbon 
emissions through participation in our programs for 
energy-efficiency upgrades, home check-ups and 
weatherization services. In 2020, more than 1.1 
million customers participated, achieving more than 
$17 million in savings.

We continued to use the environmental, social, and 
governance (ESG) reporting template that was jointly 
developed by the American Gas Association (AGA) 
and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). It provides 
investors with both quantitative and qualitative 
information in a uniform format.

MORE THAN 

1.1M 

CUSTOMERS  
PARTICIPATED

MORE THAN

$17M  

SAVINGS WERE 
ACHIEVED ON 
THEIR ENERGY 
BILLS

BIODIVERSIT Y
We published our Biodiversity Commitment, where we outline our vision to establish a legacy of 
sustained economic growth, social responsibility and environmental stewardship reflective of a 
premier energy company. As stewards of the environment, we commit to conserving and enhancing 
biodiversity on lands under our responsibility.

We participated in Power for Pollinators, a documentary produced by the 

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) discussing how electric power 

companies work to protect pollinator habitat around power plants, 

solar sites, and transmission lines.

Much of our electric and gas systems are on lands where 
the monarch butterfly can be found throughout its life 
cycle. We manage some of these rights-of-way in a 
manner that encourages milkweed, which is a vital 
component of monarch habitat. Since the monarch 
is a candidate to be listed as an endangered 
species, we proactively applied to the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service for a certificate of inclusion 
in their Nationwide Candidate Conservation 
Agreement with Assurances program. Once 
received, this will ensure both continued 
operational flexibility and regulatory compliance.

█ 14

P R E S E R V I N G   O U R   E N V I R O N M E N T

SUSTAINABILIT Y RECOGNITION AND REPORTING
We continue to be recognized as a sustainability leader. NiSource was named to the Dow Jones 
Sustainability North America Index for the seventh consecutive year. We were one of seven U.S. 
utility companies on the list, which acknowledges advancements we continue to make in our 
sustainability strategy. We maintained our listing in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which identifies 
us as a company that demonstrates strong environmental, social and governance practices. The 
Sierra Club took notice of our plans to retire our coal plants and invest in clean energy, giving both 
NiSource and NIPSCO a grade of A in a report on electric utilities’ climate progress. NIPSCO 
earned a score of 82 (out of 100), second highest among operating companies nationwide. At the 
parent company level, NiSource was one of only two companies (out of 50) that earned an A.

Later this year, we plan to publish both an updated Climate Report that aligns with the 
recommendations from the Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and 
metrics from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) as we continue to improve our 
sustainability performance and reporting. 

$4B 

IN LONG-TERM 
COST SAVINGS 
FOR CUSTOMERS

90% 
REDUCTION 
OF GREENHOUSE 
GAS EMISSIONS

█ 15

Our latest ESG and sustainability documents are available on our website at  NiSource.com/company/sustainability/reports-and-policiesSERVING OUR CUSTOMERS AND

COMMUNITIES

WE’RE AIMING HIGHER
We are on a journey to transform the way we 
serve our customers. In 2019, we provided 
a foundation for customers to manage their 
accounts and complete secure, reliable online 
bill payments via an online dashboard through 
our Columbia Gas and NIPSCO websites. 

We were recognized with a gold “Stevie” at the 
2020 American Business Awards for the best 
utility website in customer website experience. 
We continue to aim higher for our customers 
with the service we provide by listening – to 
customer feedback through surveys, social 
media and other channels – and anticipating 
customer needs. 

As we continue on this journey, we are 
focused on enabling digital self-service, 
aligning experiences across channels 
and supporting employees to better serve 
customers. 

Through strategic and creative efforts, we 
increased overall customer enrollment in 
our paperless billing program to more than 
1 million, which represents 32 percent 
of our customer base and generated a 
potential savings of more than $1.5 million 
annually in printed bill expenses.

█ 16

S E R V I N G   O U R   C U S T O M E R S   A N D   C O M M U N I T I E S

We’ve adopted the agile project methodology 
to deliver experience enhancements at a rapid, 
iterative pace. Our overall website satisfaction 
increased to 89 percent, improving by 2.5 percent 
since 2019 and enhanced online payment options 
were the key driver. 

Customers can expect to see more improvements 
like online service requests, high-usage alerts, 
outage map improvements and enhanced views 
of energy usage history.

PROVIDING CRITICAL RESOURCES 
FOR CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY NEED 
IT MOST
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged us to act 
quickly to implement safety guidelines from the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) and deliver helpful, self-service options to 
customers dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. 
We conducted an end-to-end digital experience 
audit and gathered direct customer feedback 
around COVID-19 opportunities to shape and 
improve the customer journey. 

With these insights, we enabled customers 
to enroll in our most flexible payment plans 
online and over the phone, prioritized payment 
assistance information and suspended termination 
for non-payment and late fees. We shared our 
successes and outcomes with the industry at 
multiple panel discussions with Chartwell and 
the Utility Analytics Institute. We also helped 
customers access federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief 
and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding 
through broad and targeted outreach efforts, and 
we helped our customers secure $51.9 million in 
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
(LIHEAP) funds.

The nature of agility empowers teams 
to make decisions quickly, prioritize 
work effectively, adjust and pivot as 
needed. This team was able to deliver 
critical capabilities for customers at a 
rapid pace even during a year of so 
much unpredictability and changing 
needs, and we saw many gains for our 
customers and NiSource due to their 
hard work.

Hanna Balla 
Director, NiSource  
Customer Experience 
and Insights

$51.9M 

IN LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY 
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) 
FUNDS SECURED BY OUR CUSTOMERS

█ 17

DANA B

E

L

L

E

, 

C

o

n

s

t

r

u

c

t

i

o

n

S

c

h

e

d

u

l

i

n

g

L

e

a

d

e

r

ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITIES
$7.4M  

7,993 HOURS spent volunteering at local nonprofits 
that support education, health and human services and family 
welfare initiatives, resulting in $160,000 contributed to 
those organizations through the NiSource Charitable Foundation 

contributed by the 
NiSource Charitable 
Foundation to organizations 
in communities throughout 
our operating area

Dollars for Doers program, which matches employee volunteerism 

with a financial contribution

In a year unlike any other, we focused on supporting our communities in new and meaningful ways. 
The NiSource Charitable Foundation made approximately $1.5 million in donations to COVID-19 
relief efforts including a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross which enabled it to continue 
to provide crucial blood services to hospitals throughout our service territory in the midst of the 
pandemic. The foundation also donated $500,000 to support operating company initiatives to 
provide local COVID-19 relief.

We also partnered with local operating company efforts such as the 
employee-led initiatives to buy Christmas presents for children in 
need in Ohio and Virginia, and a virtual drive to provide warm 
coats to children living in one of our most impoverished 
service territories in Kentucky. In Pennsylvania and 
Maryland, employees organized numerous giving 
back efforts throughout November and December, 
including a collection drive for local charities. 

DEALING WITH A DERECHO

The derecho storm that hit northwest Indiana on 
August 10, 2020, was one of the most severe storms 
NIPSCO had seen in five years. Nearly 95,000 
NIPSCO customers experienced multi-day power 
outages due to fallen wires, broken poles and other 
damaged equipment.

Despite the widespread damage, nearly 90 percent of 
customers were restored within 48 hours, with some 
outages lasting through the next few days.

NIPSCO crews worked tirelessly alongside mutual 
assistance crews from Newkirk, Consumers Energy, 
Consumers Energy (Kent Division), Service Electric 
Company, CC Power Energy and Rauhorn Electric 
to repair damage and restore service. As the crews 
worked together to restore power, COVID-19 safety 
protocols were closely followed, especially in regards 
to linemen returning from hurricane relief.

█ 18

This storm restoration was tough, 
but our operations team hung in 
there and kept working until the 
last customer was back on. I’m 
very proud of our teams.

Phil Winter 
Director, NIPSCO Transmission and 
Distribution (T&D) Lines

 
 
S E R V I N G   O U R   C U S T O M E R S   A N D   C O M M U N I T I E S

DANA B

E

L

L

E

, 

C

o

n

s
t
r

u

c

t
i

o

n

S

c

Because of the health and economic struggles brought on by 
the COVID-19 pandemic, we narrowed our focus to support 
customers with their very basic needs – because everyone 
deserves to have a warm place to live and food on their 
table. In Ohio, this included helping organizations distribute 
meals across the state and provide immediate support to 
open emergency temporary housing shelters to slow the 
spread of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable families 
and individuals.

h
e
d
u

l
i

n
g
L
e
a
d
e
r

Our focus on enriching our communities extends far 
beyond volunteer efforts and giving programs. We also aim 
to improve the communities we serve through economic 

development efforts. In Indiana, the NIPSCO Economic 
Development and Major Accounts team was instrumental in 
helping to lure a steel processing company’s headquarters to Gary, 

Indiana, from Chicago, bringing with it 100 jobs to northwest Indiana. 

The team also played an important role in finding a new buyer for a shuttered 
amusement park which had served the region for nearly a century, provided hundreds of seasonal 
jobs and by one estimate contributes $60 million annually to the local and regional economy. Even 
in a difficult year, the team still managed to score major economic development success bringing in 
$192 million in investment to the region, along with nearly 1,000 jobs. 

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND   
TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY RESPONDERS 

Hot water is something that most of us don’t think about 
until the tap is suddenly cold – and for an emergency room 
nurse treating COVID-19 patients in Virginia, a hot shower 
after work is just as much about safety as comfort.

When her electric water heater failed, the frantic nurse called 
on us for help to convert to natural gas. A team of employees 
representing three companies and nine individuals worked 
together to get her back up and running in record time. 

The team was able to implement the conversion process and install the customer’s service line  
quickly – a process which normally takes about a month took just four days.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE HEALTHCARE 
WORKERS, EMERGENCY RESPONDERS 
AND FRONTLINE WORKERS

█ 19

 
 
JAKE REESE
Construction Coordinator 2

EMPOWERING  
OUR

 TEAM

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
Our employees are relentless in caring for our 
customers and one another. So much so, that 
when we were faced with the unprecedented 
challenges of 2020, our teams didn’t skip a 
beat in swiftly shifting the way we do business, 
managing our COVID-19 response in an Incident 
Command System and Area Command System 
model to ensure clear lines of command and 
appropriate integration between state and 
corporate response activities. 

Our teams adapted their ways of working to 
put safety of our workforce and customers first, 
including shifting those who can effectively work 
remotely to do so, temporarily using mobile call 
centers and increasing customer care center 
at home agents. We also built and activated 
sequestration plans to secure critical personnel 
resources and ensure our ability to continue 
performing critical functions. 

As our teams adapted to enhanced safety 
policies and protocols aligned with 
CDC guidelines and local government 
mandates, we ensured essential training 
could continue, including new hire 
training and training to ensure operator 
qualification compliance. 

█ 20

QUENTIN D

U

C

K

W

O

R

T

H

,

S

e

r

v

i

c
e
T
e
c
h
n

icia
n

 
 
 
E M P O W E R I N G   O U R   T E A M

T E V E   K A RSON, Lineman

d   S

ntice Line m a n a n

re
p
p
A
,
W
O
R
R
U
F

At the same time, we supported one another during a 
time that blurred the boundaries between work and 
life like never before by aligning HR policies and 
procedures and providing the resources (everything 
from childcare information and home office 
supplies to proper PPE) to support the health, 
safety and mental well-being of employees, and 
equipped leaders to do so as well. 

And while transparency has always been a 
core belief at NiSource, 2020 reaffirmed the 
importance of providing transparent and ongoing 
communication to inform and support our leaders 
and employees. In support of this, we accelerated 
the launch of new technology including Dynamic 
Signal and Webex, and other tools to enable our 
employees to stay informed and collaborate regardless 
of work location.

N

I

T

S

U

D

RENEWED COMMITMENT TO DIVERSIT Y, 
EQUIT Y AND INCLUSION
2020 challenged us. There were injustices that rocked the very foundation of what our country 
stands for – justice, freedom, acceptance, equality.

Following the killing of George Floyd, we publicly pledged our commitment to confronting systemic 
racism. Through the unrest, a spotlight was shone on the inequity so many are facing across the 
country and in our own communities. At NiSource we have no tolerance for intolerance or disrespect 
of people based on gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or background. We strive to respect 
everyone regardless of our differences – because our diversity strengthens us. 

Dr. Martin Luther King’s nonviolent resistance fought for legal equality of African Americans, and he 
also fought against international conflicts and against poverty. In short, he fought for a level playing 
field for all people. Creating this level playing field for all employees is why we made the decision to 
add the word “equity” to our Inclusion & Diversity vision. 

During the second half of 2020, CEO Joe Hamrock met with many of our employee resource 
groups. During those discussions, we focused on the topic of psychological safety – being able to 
share opinions or ask questions without fear of judgment. These discussions are better informing 
our approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

We have committed to hiring a new Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader, and are increasing 
accountability for diversity, equity & inclusion expectations for all of our leaders.

Our employees are passionate about inclusion, equity and diversity. One 
of the ways they can get involved and make a difference is by participating 
in our EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS and INCLUSION, 
EQUITY AND DIVERSITY COUNCILS. 

█ 21

 
 
NEX T LEVEL LEADERSHIP

Through NiSource Next we’re transforming our organization and addressing opportunities for 
continuous improvement. In 2020 we piloted Next Level Leadership, a program focused on 
alleviating challenges field leaders face to provide more time leading and coaching their teams.

Twenty-five managers and field leaders from electric and gas operations in Indiana and Kentucky 
participated in 12 weeks of leadership development activities and were introduced to new tools 
and ways of working. Participants are also assigned dedicated coaches and participate in weekly 
coaching sessions. 

As the initial pilots end, the team will be working to launch the program in other states to continue to 
expand Next Level Leadership across NiSource.

EMPLOYEE VOICES GUIDE KEY INITIATIVES

One key to successful change is ensuring the voice of our employees is heard. Two groups – The 
Change Network and Employee Advisory Council (EAC) – comprised of employees from across our 
company played a key role in helping NiSource leaders ensure the employee voice was present in 
decision-making for our COVID-19 response, the implementation of SMS and our transformation.

Through Change Network and EAC meetings, leaders receive actionable feedback directly 
from employees. The meeting format allows members to offer feedback verbally and through an 
online polling system, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate regardless of 
communication style.

During the meetings, NiSource executive leaders have shared important updates and listened to 
employee concerns and answered questions. 

“It is good to hear from the leaders who are coming up with the processes and making the 
decisions on a day-to-day basis,” said Tammy Sebek, integration specialist at our Customer Care 
Center in Pennsylvania.

In addition to meeting with these employee groups, senior leaders have held virtual employee town 
hall meetings with Q&A opportunities and informal virtual coffee chats in an effort to increase two-
way dialogue with employees. We’ve also started using more frequent pulse surveys to understand 
the employee experience through more real-time feedback. 

Employees are equally appreciative of having an outlet to leadership. Mary Bible, field operations 
leader in Virginia, said, “I appreciate how leaders take our feedback and show us how they’ve 
incorporated it into the work.”

█ 22

E M P O W E R I N G   O U R   T E A M

EMPLOYEE POPULATION
A S   O F   D E C E M B E R   3 1 ,   2 0 2 0

7,389 
TOTAL 

EMPLOYEES 

682 
TOTAL 

MANAGEMENT 
(MANAGER AND ABOVE)

GENERATIONS

<1% T R A DITI O N A LISTS   
(1925-1948)

73% M EN

27% WO M EN

15% M I N O RIT Y

67% M EN

33% WO M EN

16% M I N O RIT Y

21% BA BY BO O M ERS   
(1949-1964)

28% G EN ER ATI O N  X   
(1965-1976)

51% M I LLEN NI A LS /   
G EN ER ATI O N  Y   
(1977-1996)

1% G EN ER ATI O N  Z   
(1997-PRESENT)

SPOTLIGHT ON LEADERSHIP NISOURCE

Fourteen rising leaders participated in the 2020 Leadership NiSource class, which focused on 
increasing leadership skills in three key areas:

Know & Develop Yourself – Gaining self-awareness regarding strengths and development 
areas as well as individual leadership values and vision for the future; networking and building 
relationships with peers and senior leaders across NiSource.

Know, Support, & Develop Our People – Building capabilities to coach, delegate, develop, and 
inspire others to higher levels of performance. 

Know & Develop the Business – Engaging in experiential activities (site visits and live cases) 
to enhance business acumen and critical thinking skills; increase understanding of NiSource’s 
strategic direction and how to translate the overall strategy into a team strategy with measurable 
objectives.

This year’s class completed capstone projects focused on strategic issues raised by senior leaders 
in support of three main business priorities: SMS; Your Energy, Your Future; and IT modernization. 
From there, participants put their projects into actionable plans with real business impacts.

█ 23

FOCUSING  
ON OUR FINANCIAL 
PERFORMANCE

2020 was a transitional year for NiSource as we worked to mitigate the financial impacts of the 
COVID-19 pandemic and completed the sale of our Columbia Gas of Massachusetts (CMA) 
business, while we continued to execute on our core growth programs and launched a multi-year 
effort to improve our cost structure and drive efficiencies across the organization.

On a GAAP basis, we reported a 2020 net loss available to common shareholders of about $73 
million, or $0.19 per share, compared to net income available to common shareholders of about 
$328 million, or $0.88 per share, for the same period of 2019.

We delivered 2020 non-GAAP net operating earnings of about $508 million, or $1.32* per share, 
compared to net operating earnings of $495 million, or $1.32* per share, in 2019. The primary 
differences between GAAP and non-GAAP results are CMA sale related amounts and the loss 
on early extinguishment of long-term debt. Schedule 1 of this annual report contains a complete 
reconciliation of GAAP measures to non-GAAP measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted our financial performance in 2020. We had lower 
commercial and industrial sales, which were partially offset by higher residential sales. We saw 
reduced late payment and reconnection fees, as well as higher bad debt and other expenses. The 
total net impact of COVID-19 was approximately 5 cents per share (non-GAAP), as we deployed 
non-safety related cost management and regulatory solutions to offset about half of the pandemic’s 
financial impact. We enhanced our liquidity throughout the pandemic and lowered the weighted 
average interest rate on our long-term debt by more than 60 basis points. 

Despite the transitional year and the pandemic, the NiSource team continued to execute on our 
safety and asset modernization programs in 2020. We invested $1.7 billion in our gas and electric 
utility systems during the year, including replacing 274 miles of priority gas pipeline, 37 miles of 
underground electric cable and 1,380 electric poles. Our infrastructure modernization programs are 
backed by well-established regulatory trackers which allow us to begin earning on about 75 percent 
of these capital investments within 18 months.

In 2021, we expect to make capital investments of $1.9 to $2.1 billion and to deliver non-GAAP net 
operating earnings in the range of $1.28 to $1.36 per share. This forecast serves as the baseline 
for the long-term infrastructure and renewable investment growth plan that we laid out at our 2020 
Investor Day.

*Net operating earnings per share (non-GAAP); for a reconciliation to GAAP, see Schedule 1 on page 26. See also Regulation G statement 
on the inside back cover.

█ 24

F O C U S I N G   O N   O U R   F I N A N C I A L   P E R F O R M A N C E

Under that plan, we expect to make growth, safety and asset modernization investments of $1.9 to 
$2.2 billion annually from 2021 through 2024, as well as $1.8 to $2 billion in renewable generation 
investments through 2023. These investments are expected to drive compound annual rate base 
growth of 10 to 12 percent through 2024. We expect to grow our non-GAAP net operating earnings 
per share by 7 to 9 percent on a compound annual growth rate basis from 2021 through 2024, 
including near-term annual growth of 5 to 7 percent through 2023. We expect to grow our dividend 
to maintain our targeted 60 to 70 percent payout ratio, and we plan to finance our growth in a 
balanced way that’s focused on maintaining our current investment grade credit ratings.

FINANCIAL METRICS
($0.19)  

$1.32 

2020 GA AP 
E ARNINGS (LOSS) 
PER SHARE 

2020 NON - GA AP 
NET OPER ATING 
E ARNINGS PER 
SHARE*

-14.9%  

2020 TOTAL 
SHAREHOLDER 
RETURN

$0.88 

2021 PER SHARE 
ANNUAL DI V I DEND 
PRO JECTED 
(COMMON STOCK )* *

$0.84  

2020 PER 
SHARE ANNUAL 
DI V I DEND 
(COMMON STOCK )

TO   

$1.9B  
$2.1B 

2021 CAPE X 
PRO JECTED

*Net operating earnings per share (non-GAAP); for a reconciliation to GAAP, see Schedule 1 on page 26. See also Regulation G statement 
on the inside back cover.

**Dividends are subject to board approval.

█ 25

SCHEDULE 1 
Schedule 1 - Reconciliation of Consolidated Net Income (Loss) Available to Common 
Reconciliation of Consolidated Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Shareholders to Net 
Shareholders to Net Operating Earnings Available to Common Shareholders (Non-GAAP) 
Operating Earnings (Loss) Available to Common Shareholders (Non-GAAP) (unaudited)
(unaudited)

(in millions, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended
December 31,

Twelve Months 
Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2020

2019

GAAP Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Shareholders $ 

70.7  $ 

(153.0)  $ 

(72.7)  $ 

328.0 

Adjustments to Operating Income (Loss):

Operating Revenues:

Weather - compared to normal
Massachusetts Business transaction revenue(1)

Operating Expenses:

Greater Lawrence Incident(2)
Plant retirement costs(3)
NiSource Next initiative(4)
Massachusetts Business sale related amounts(5)

Loss (Gain) on sale of assets, net

Total adjustments to operating income (loss)

Other Income (Deductions):
Loss on early extinguishment of long-term debt(6)

Income Taxes:
Tax effect of above items(7)
Income taxes - discrete items(8)

Total adjustments to net income (loss)

8.0 

(11.8)   

24.0 

(24.8) 

(9.0)   

— 

(9.0)   

— 

1.3 

— 

19.2 

18.9 

(54.2)   

— 

— 
414.5 

16.7 

4.6 

45.8 

400.3 

(1.4)   

0.1 

(1.8)   

(233.6) 

— 

— 
414.5 

— 

37.0 

348.6 

480.6 

156.1 

0.1 

— 

243.5 

— 

(10.4)   

(90.5)   

(191.8)   

(38.2) 

32.7 

59.4 

64.5 

322.6 

47.9 

580.2 

48.8 

166.7 

Net Operating Earnings Available to Common Shareholders 
(Non-GAAP)

$ 

130.1  $  169.6  $  507.5  $ 

494.7 

Basic Average Common Shares Outstanding

387.0 

377.2 

384.3 

GAAP Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share 
Adjustments to basic earnings (loss) per share 

$ 

0.18  $ 

0.16 

(0.41)  $ 
0.86 

(0.19)  $ 

1.51 

374.6 

0.88 

0.44 

$ 

1.32  $ 

0.34  $ 

0.45  $ 

1.32 
Non-GAAP Basic Net Operating Earnings Per Share
(1)Represents  certain  reimbursed  costs  for  services  rendered  as  part  of  the  sale  of  the  Massachusetts  Business  to  Eversource  that  occurred  on 
October 9, 2020.
(1)Represents certain reimbursed costs for services rendered as part of the sale of the Massachusetts Business to Eversource that occurred on October 9, 2020.
(2)Represents  costs  incurred  for  estimated  third-party  claims  and  related  other  expenses  as  a  result  of  the  Greater  Lawrence  Incident,  net  of 
(2)Represents costs incurred for estimated third-party claims and related other expenses as a result of the Greater Lawrence Incident, net of insurance recoveries 
recorded.
insurance recoveries recorded.
(3)Represents costs incurred in connection with the planned retirement of the Schahfer Generating Station. Includes costs for write downs of certain capital projects 
(3)Represents  costs  incurred  in  connection  with  the  planned  retirement  of  the  Schahfer  Generating  Station.  Includes  costs  for  write  downs  of 
and materials and supplies inventory balances.
certain capital projects and materials and supplies inventory balances.
(4)Represents incremental severance and third-party consulting costs incurred in connection with the NiSource Next initiative.
(4)Represents incremental severance and third-party consulting costs incurred in connection with the NiSource Next initiative.
(5)2020 represents third-party consulting costs incurred for the separation and transition of the Massachusetts Business and the loss on sale to Eversource, offset by 
depreciation and amortization expense that was ceased for GAAP purposes as a result of classifying the Massachusetts Business as held for sale. 2019 represents 
(5)2020  represents  third-party  consulting  costs  incurred  for  the  separation  and  transition  of  the  Massachusetts  Business  and  the  loss  on  sale  to 
a non-cash impairment of the Columbia of Massachusetts franchise rights and of the goodwill attributable to Columbia of Massachusetts as a result of the announced 
Eversource,  offset  by  depreciation  and  amortization  expense  that  was  ceased  for  GAAP  purposes  as  a  result  of  classifying  the  Massachusetts 
sale to Eversource.
(6)Represents non-recurring costs incurred for the early redemption of $1,603.6 million in long-term notes, consisting primarily of early redemption premiums.
Business  as  held  for  sale.  2019  represents  a  non-cash  impairment  of  the  Columbia  of  Massachusetts  franchise  rights  and  of  the  goodwill 
(7)Represents income tax expense calculated using the statutory tax rates by legal entity.
attributable to Columbia of Massachusetts as a result of the announced sale to Eversource.  
(8)2020 represents non-deductible fines and penalties related to Greater Lawrence Incident and tax discrete adjustments in connection with the sale of the 
(6)Represents  non-recurring  costs  incurred  for  the  early  redemption  of  $1,603.6  million  in  long-term  notes,  consisting  primarily  of  early 
Massachusetts Business, including (i) deferred taxes on a TCJA regulatory liability divested, (ii) consolidated state deferred taxes and (iii) associated valuation 
redemption premiums.
allowance related to state net operating loss carryforward. 2019 represents (i) the non-deductible goodwill impairment, (ii) non-deductible fines and penalties and (iii) 
(7)Represents income tax expense calculated using the statutory tax rates by legal entity. 
adjustments to consolidated state deferred taxes, all related to the Greater Lawrence Incident.
(8)2020 represents non-deductible fines and penalties related to Greater Lawrence Incident and tax discrete adjustments in connection with the sale 
of the Massachusetts Business, including (i) deferred taxes on a TCJA regulatory liability divested, (ii) consolidated state deferred taxes and (iii) 
associated valuation allowance related to state net operating loss carryforward. 2019 represents (i) the non-deductible goodwill impairment, (ii) 
non-deductible fines and penalties and (iii) adjustments to consolidated state deferred taxes, all related to the Greater Lawrence Incident.

█ 26

7

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STOCKHOLDER INFORMATION

Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Investors and prospective investors should understand that many factors govern whether any forward-looking statement contained 
herein will be or can be realized. Any one of those factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited 
to, statements concerning our plans, strategies, objectives, expected performance, expenditures, recovery of expenditures through rates, stated on either a consolidated or segment basis, 
and any and all underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical fact. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that management 
believes to be reasonable; however, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in this document include, among other things, our ability to 
execute our business plan or growth strategy, including utility infrastructure investments; potential incidents and other operating risks associated with our business; our ability to adapt to, 
and manage costs related to, advances in technology; impacts related to our aging infrastructure; our ability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage and whether such coverage will protect us 
against significant losses; the success of our electric generation strategy; construction risks and natural gas costs and supply risks; fluctuations in demand from residential and commercial 
customers; fluctuations in the price of energy commodities and related transportation costs or an inability to obtain an adequate, reliable and cost-effective fuel supply to meet customer 
demands; the attraction and retention of a qualified workforce and ability to maintain good labor relations; our ability to manage new initiatives and organizational changes; the performance 
of third-party suppliers and service providers; potential cyber-attacks; any damage to our reputation; any remaining liabilities or impact related to the sale of Massachusetts Business; the 
impacts of natural disasters, potential terrorist attacks or other catastrophic events; the impacts of climate change and extreme weather conditions; our debt obligations; any changes to 
our credit rating or the credit rating of certain of our subsidiaries; adverse economic and capital market conditions or increases in interest rates; economic regulation and the impact of 
regulatory rate reviews; our ability to obtain expected financial or regulatory outcomes; continuing and potential future impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic; economic conditions in certain 
industries; the reliability of customers and suppliers to fulfill their payment and contractual obligations; the ability of our subsidiaries to generate cash; pension funding obligations; potential 
impairments of goodwill; changes in the method for determining LIBOR and the potential replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings, 
investigations, incidents, claims and litigation; potential remaining liabilities related to the Greater Lawrence Incident; compliance with the agreements entered into with the U.S. Attorney’s 
Office to settle the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s investigation relating to the Greater Lawrence Incident; compliance with applicable laws, regulations and tariffs; compliance with environmental 
laws and the costs of associated liabilities; changes in taxation; and other matters set forth in Item 1, “Business,” Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and Part II. Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and 
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” of the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, some of which risks are beyond our control. 
In addition, the relative contributions to profitability by each business segment, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements relating thereto, may change over time. 

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. We undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any such obligation to, 
update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or changes to the future results over time or otherwise, 
except as required by law.

Regulation G Disclosure Statement
This document includes financial results and guidance for NiSource with respect to net operating earnings available to common shareholders, which is a non-GAAP financial measure as 
defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Regulation G. The company includes this measure because management believes it permits investors to view the company’s 
performance using the same tools that management uses and to better evaluate the company’s ongoing business performance. With respect to such guidance, it should be noted that 
there will likely be a difference between this measure and its GAAP equivalent due to various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in weather, the impact of asset sales and 
impairments, and other items included in GAAP results. The company is not able to estimate the impact of such factors on GAAP earnings and, as such, is not providing earnings guidance 
on a GAAP basis. In addition, the company is not able to provide a reconciliation of its non-GAAP net operating earnings guidance to its GAAP equivalent without unreasonable efforts.

Investor Relations
(219) 647-5688

Media Relations
(614) 460-5544
media@nisource.com

Anticipated Dividend Record and  
Payment Dates* (NiSource Common Stock)

Record Date
02/09/21
04/30/21
07/30/21
10/29/21
02/08/22

Payment Date
02/19/21
05/20/21
08/20/21
11/19/21
02/18/22

Common Stock Dividend Declared
On February 19, 2021, the company paid a quarterly 
dividend of $0.22 per share to stockholders of record 
as of the close of business on February 9, 2021, 
equivalent to $0.88 per share on an annual basis. 

Stockholder Services
Questions about stockholder accounts, stock 
certificates, transfer of shares, dividend payments, 
automatic dividend reinvestment and stock purchase 
plan, and electronic deposit may be directed to 
Computershare at the following:

Computershare
c/o Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 505000
Louisville, Kentucky 40233
(888) 884-7790
• TDD for Hearing Impaired: (800) 231-5469
• Foreign Stockholders: (201) 680-6578
• TDD Foreign Stockholders: (201) 680-6610
• Computershare.com/investor

*Dividends are subject to board approval.

Investor and Financial Information
Financial analysts and investment professionals should direct written and 
telephone inquiries to NiSource Investor Relations, 801 East 86th Avenue, 
Merrillville, Indiana 46410 or (219) 647-5688. Copies of NiSource’s financial 
reports are available at NiSource.com, or by writing or calling the Investor 
Relations department at the address or phone number listed above.

Stock Listing 
NiSource Inc common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under 
the ticker symbol “NI.”

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Deloitte & Touche

Sustainability 
While addressed in the 2020 Integrated Annual Report, additional details on 
sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and 
related policies can be found under the Sustainability tab at NiSource.com.

Board of Directors
Communications with the Board of Directors may be made generally, to any 
director individually, to the non-management directors as a group or the lead 
director of the non-management group by writing to the following address:

NiSource Inc.
Attention: Board of Directors, Board Member,
non-management directors or Chairman
c/o Corporate Secretary
801 East 86th Avenue
Merrillville, Indiana 46410

Corporate Governance
At NiSource.com, shareholders can view the company’s corporate governance 
guidelines, code of business conduct, political spending policy and charters 
of all board-level committees. Copies of these documents are available to 
shareholders without charge upon written request to Corporate Secretary at the 
above address. 

 
COMPANY LOCATIONS
Corporate Headquarters
NiSource Inc.
801 E. 86th Avenue
Merrillville, Indiana 46410
(219) 647-5990
NiSource.com

Columbia Gas of Ohio
290 W. Nationwide Boulevard
Columbus, Ohio 43215 
Emergency: (800) 344-4077
Customer Care: (800) 344-4077
ColumbiaGasOhio.com

NiSource Corporate Services
240 W. Nationwide Boulevard
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 460-6000
NiSource.com

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania
121 Champion Way
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317 
Emergency: (888) 460-4332
Customer Care: (888) 460-4332
ColumbiaGasPA.com

Columbia Gas of Kentucky
2001 Mercer Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40511
Emergency: (800) 432-9515
Customer Care: (800) 432-9345
ColumbiaGasKY.com

Columbia Gas of Maryland
121 Champion Way
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317
Emergency: (888) 460-4332
Customer Care: (888) 460-4332
ColumbiaGasMD.com

Columbia Gas of Virginia
1809 Coyote Drive
Chester, Virginia 23836
Emergency: (800) 544-5606
Customer Care: (800) 543-8911
ColumbiaGasVA.com

NIPSCO
801 E. 86th Avenue
Merrillville, Indiana 46410
Customer Care: (800) 464-7726 
Gas Emergency: (800) 634-3524
Electric Emergency: (800) 464-7726
NIPSCO.com

NiSource is a trademark of NiSource Inc. All other trademarks are the property 
of their respective owners. Further information about NiSource and its subsidiary 
companies can be found at NiSource.com. Information made available on our 
website does not constitute a part of this report. 

© 2020 NiSource Inc. This report is printed on recycled paper.