MERRILLVILLE, Ind., June 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NiSource (NYSE: NI) today released its 2015 Sustainability Report, which highlights its sustainable approach to safety, reliability, community involvement and customer experience. The report provides readers with a glimpse into the company's continued sustainability efforts, a key component to its strategic direction. The full report is available at www.nisource.com/sustainability.

'As we move forward as a pure-play utility with seven thriving local brands, our success continues to grow through the efforts of our 7,500 employees,' said President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Hamrock. 'Each day we work hard to deliver on our commitments to our customers, communities and stakeholders and meet their needs for safe, reliable and affordable energy they need. The programs highlighted in this report demonstrate our employees' efforts in maintaining a sustainable approach in the way we do business.'

The report features examples of sustainability efforts occurring across NiSource and its subsidiary companies, including:

• Industry-leading safety performance - Safety is part of the culture at NiSource. With a fundamental desire to keep people safe, NiSource invests in public awareness programs, which help educate the public on how to avoid damage to underground systems in addition to training emergency responders on natural gas safety to ensure they know how to respond if underground facilities are damaged. Last year, NiSource invested more than $3.2 million in public awareness efforts across its companies.
• Top-tier customer satisfaction - New technologies and improved processes were introduced in 2015 to make it easier for customers to do business with its companies. This includes improved appointment windows, online outage reporting, website enhancements and new bill layout. Plus, NiSource companies helped customers save more than $9.6 million through participation in energy efficiency programs in 2015.
• Investments that systematically and efficiently deliver service integrity - With nearly $1.37 billion invested in natural gas distribution system and electric operations in 2015, NiSource is enhancing safety, reliability and customer service and improving environmental performance. From replacing aging infrastructure to upgrading substations, these investments translate into a safer, more reliable energy system to serve our customers and communities.
• Recognized among the best places to work by all in our communities - NiSource is focused on training, development, employee engagement, and inclusion and diversity as it continues to work toward being recognized as a best place to work in our communities. The construction of two new state-of-the-art training facilities is just one step in building the next generation of workers and developing great talent across the organization.

About NiSource
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across seven states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's more than 7,500 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and communities we serve. NiSource has been designated a World's Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute since 2012 and is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index. Additional information about NiSource, its investments in modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at www.nisource.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/nisource, www.linkedin.com/company/nisource, or www.twitter.com/nisourceinc. NI-F

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SOURCE NiSource