NISOURCE INC

Financial and operational data for the Columbia Operations segment for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 are presented below.

(1) Heating degree figures represent averages of the five jurisdictions served by Columbia Operations.

Comparability of operation and maintenance expenses, depreciation and amortization, and other taxes may be impacted by regulatory, depreciation, and tax trackers that allow for the recovery in rates of certain costs.

The underlying reasons for changes in our operating revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 are presented below.

Weather

In general, we calculate the weather-related revenue variance based on changing customer demand driven by weather variance from normal heating degree days, net of weather normalization mechanisms. Our composite heating degree days reported do not directly correlate to the weather-related dollar impact on the results of Columbia Operations. Heating degree days experienced during different times of the year or in different operating locations may have more or less impact on volume and dollars depending on when and where they occur. When the detailed results are combined for reporting, there may be weather-related dollar impacts on operations when there is not an apparent or significant change in our aggregated composite heating degree day comparison.

Throughput

The increase in total volumes for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, is primarily attributable to increased industrial usage.

Commodity Price Impact

Cost of energy for the Columbia Operations segment is principally comprised of the cost of natural gas used while providing transportation and distribution services to customers. All Columbia Operations companies have state-approved recovery mechanisms that provide a means for full recovery of prudently incurred gas costs. These are tracked costs that are passed through directly to the customer, and the gas costs included in revenues are matched with the gas cost expense recorded in the period. The difference is recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) as under-recovered or over-recovered gas cost to be included in future customer billings. Therefore, increases in these tracked operating expenses are offset by increases in operating revenues and have essentially no impact on net income.

Certain of the Columbia Operations companies continue to offer choice opportunities, where customers can choose to purchase gas from a third-party supplier, through regulatory initiatives in their respective jurisdictions.

The underlying reasons for changes in our operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 are presented below.