As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2003 Registration No. 333-_____ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 ________________________ FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ________________________ NISOURCE INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 35-2108964 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 801 East 86th Avenue Merrillville, Indiana 46410 (Address, including zip code, of principal executive offices) NISOURCE INC. RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN (Full title of the Plan) David J. Vajda NiSource Inc. 801 East 86th Avenue Merrillville, Indiana 46410 (219) 647-5520 (Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service) COPY TO: Robert J. Minkus Schiff Hardin & Waite 6600 Sears Tower Chicago, Illinois 60606-6473 (312) 258-5500 ___________________________ CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE PROPOSED PROPOSED MAXIMUM MAXIMUM AMOUNT OFFERING AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF TITLE OF EACH CLASS OF TO BE PRICE PER OFFERING REGISTRATION SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED REGISTERED SHARE PRICE FEE --------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------- ------------ Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 1,492,416 (1)(2) (3) (3) (3) Interests in the Plan (4) (4) ___________________ (1) The 1,492,416 shares being registered under the NiSource Inc. Retirement Savings Plan were previously registered on Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form S-8 to Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File Nos. 333-33896 and 333-33896- 01). Those shares consist of the following number of registered shares, which remain available for issuance: 893,370 shares under the NiSource Inc. Tax Deferred Savings Plan, 570,046 shares under the Bay State Gas Company Employee Savings Plan and 29,000 shares under the Kokomo Gas & Fuel Co. Bargaining Unit Tax Deferred Savings Plan. These plans were merged into the Columbia Savings Plan (7,285,958 registered shares remaining) effective January 1, 2002, at which time the Columbia Savings Plan was renamed the NiSource Inc. Retirement Savings Plan. (2) Together with an indeterminate number of additional securities in order to adjust the number of securities reserved for issuance pursuant to the NiSource Inc. Retirement Savings Plan as the result of a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction affecting the Common Stock, pursuant to Rule 416(a) and (b) under the Securities Act of 1933. (3) The 1,492,416 shares being registered under the NiSource Inc. Retirement Savings Plan were previously registered on Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form S-8 to Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File Nos. 333-33896 and 333-33896- 01), and a registration fee with respect to those shares was previously paid in connection with the filing of that Form S-4. Accordingly, no registration fee is required to be paid with respect to this Registration Statement. (4) Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement also registers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the NiSource Inc. Retirement Savings Plan for which no separate fee is required. 2 EXPLANATORY NOTE ---------------- The NiSource Inc. Tax Deferred Savings Plan, the Bay State Gas Company Employee Savings Plan and the Kokomo Gas & Fuel Co. Bargaining Unit Tax Deferred Savings Plan were merged into the Columbia Savings Plan effective January 1, 2002, at which time the Columbia Savings Plan was renamed the NiSource Inc. Retirement Savings Plan. PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE. All information required in this Registration Statement not included in the exhibits attached hereto or set forth on the signature page is set forth in the Registration Statement (Registration Nos. 333-33896 and 333-33896-01), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8. ITEM 8. EXHIBITS. See Index to Exhibits. The Registrant will submit the Plan and any amendments thereto to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") in a timely manner and will make all changes required by the IRS in order to qualify the plan. 3 SIGNATURES ---------- THE REGISTRANT. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S- 8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Merrillville, State of Indiana, on July 31, 2003. NISOURCE INC. By: /s/ Gary L. Neale -------------------------------- Gary L. Neale Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer POWER OF ATTORNEY ----------------- Know All Persons By These Presents, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Stephen P. Adik, Michael W. O'Donnell, Jeffrey W. Grossman or David J. Vajda or any one of them his or her true lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and re-substitution for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in- fact and agent full power and authority, to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, to all intents and purposes and as fully as they might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 4 SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- /s/ Gary L. Neale Chairman, President and Chief Executive July 31, 2003 ---------------------- Officer and Director Gary L. Neale (Principal Executive Officer) /s/ Stephen P. Adik Vice Chairman and Director July 31, 2003 ---------------------- Stephen P. Adik /s/ Michael W. O'Donnell Executive Vice President and Chief July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Financial Officer Michael W. O'Donnell (Principal Financial Officer) /s/ Jeffrey W. Grossman Vice President and Controller July 31, 2003 ------------------------ (Principal Accounting Officer) Jeffrey W. Grossman /s/ Steven C. Beering Director July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Steven C. Beering /s/ Arthur J. Decio Director July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Arthur J. Decio /s/ Dennis E. Foster Director July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Dennis E. Foster /s/ Ian M. Rolland Director July 21, 2003 ------------------------ Ian M. Rolland /s/ John W. Thompson Director July 21, 2003 ------------------------ John W. Thompson /s/ Robert J. Welsh Director July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Robert J. Welsh /s/ Carolyn Y. Woo Director July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Carolyn Y. Woo /s/ Roger A. Young Director July 31, 2003 ------------------------ Roger A. Young 5 THE PLAN. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Plan has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Merrillville, State of Indiana, on the dates indicated. NISOURCE INC. RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN By: NiSource Inc. and Affiliates Retirement Plan Administrative and Investment Committee By: /s/ Stephen P. Adik July 31, 2003 ------------------------- Stephen P. Adik Member, Plan Committee By: /s/ Samuel W. Miller, Jr. July 31, 2003 -------------------------- Samuel W. Miller, Jr. Member, Plan Committee By: /s/ Michael W. O'Donnell July 31, 2003 -------------------------- Michael W. O'Donnell Member, Plan Committee By: /s/ David J. Vajda July 31, 2003 -------------------------- David J. Vajda Member, Plan Committee By: /s/ S. LaNette Zimmerman July 31, 2003 -------------------------- S. LaNette Zimmerman Member, Plan Committee 6 EXHIBIT INDEX ------------- EXHIBIT NUMBER DESCRIPTION -------------- ----------- 23 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP. 24 Powers of Attorney of directors and certain officers of the Registrant are included on the signature page. 7