legislation Archives | Citizens Utility Board

Illinois passes the CRGA Act–here are its key provisions

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:31:36 +0000

At the end of October, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, sweeping energy legislation that builds upon the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) of 2016 and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) of 2021. The CRGA Act provides Illinois with a long-term plan to push back against the type of power market volatility that led to price spikes of the sort Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois customers suffered this past summer. (Read CUB’s statement on the passage of the CRGA Act.) Key provisions of the CRGA Act: Bringing more battery storage to the power grid What CRGA does: Adds 3 gigawatts (GW) of battery storage to the system in years to come, enough to power millions of homes and help reduce electricity price volatility. It also creates a “Storage for All” program to bring the benefits of battery storage to income-eligible households, nonprofit organizations, and public facilities. CUB’s take: With its ability to store power when electricity prices are low for use during periods of high prices, battery storage is one of the most cost-effective investments in the grid. Expanding energy efficiency What CRGA does: Increases access to programs helping households cut energy waste, with particular focus on ensuring that lower-income families can benefit. CUB’s take: For every $1 invested in energy efficiency, consumers get at least $2 back in system-wide benefits–such as avoiding energy costs and expensive grid upgrades on new electric load. Virtual power plant program (VPP) What CRGA does: Creates a virtual power plant program through which consumers can aggregate their customer-sited resources, like batteries or solar panels, to provide grid services and get paid to do it. CUB’s take: VPPs can help us avoid needing to build more expensive forms of power generation. CRGA sets Illinois up to develop regulatory guidance to finally make VPPs a reality. Better planning What CRGA does: Gives the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) more flexibility to do resource planning–to help assure Illinois’ grid has enough electricity to keep the lights on. CUB’s take: CRGA creates a standardized energy-planning process to help Illinois better analyze its energy challenges and develop a roadmap to secure reliable and affordable electricity for the state . The CRGA Act also strengthens the power grid by promoting improvements to transmission infrastructure, maximizing the amount of electricity power lines can carry (through grid-enhancing technologies, which CUB supports), and reducing bottlenecks in the process to develop and improve transmission lines. Other key provisions: CRGA… Gives regulators more explicit authority to protect solar customers from misleading marketing and fraud. CUB believes solar is a great way to bring down energy bills for individual homeowners who install panels–and to cut overall energy demand and prices for everyone. Plus, it’s become more accessible for consumers thanks to programs like Illinois Solar For All. But there are some bad actors out there, and this provision will help hold installers that peddle bad deals accountable. Mandates that electric utilities offer optional “time of use,” or TOU, pricing. CUB has already worked at the ICC to create such an option for ComEd customers, and the CRGA Act codifies […]

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Progress: Maryland legislators pass bill that shines light on utility votes at PJM–Illinois considering similar measure

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 20:22:25 +0000

Maryland legislators have passed a bill that requires utilities to disclose their votes at PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest power grid operator. The same legislation has passed the Delaware Senate unanimously and is currently active in three other states–and CUB hopes to pass similar legislation in Illinois. For years CUB has been spreading the word that our electric bills are affected not just by the local utility, like ComEd, but also by power grid operators, like PJM. As a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), PJM coordinates the movement of electricity over large transmission lines and creates the markets in which electric wholesale prices are set for 65 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast. That includes ComEd customers in northern Illinois. PJM is dominated by generators, transmission companies and electric utilities (like ComEd) that vote on power grid policies that have a huge impact on how reliable, clean and affordable our electricity is. But, amazingly, many of those votes are secret. That’s why consumer advocates across the PJM region are pushing transparency legislation. In Illinois, CUB supports House Bill 1802. The legislation would require Illinois utilities like ComEd to submit a report to state regulators revealing the votes they cast at grid operator meetings. They also would have to explain how those votes are in the public interest. This is about healthy democracy and holding utilities and grid operators accountable: Please take Action. This legislation would cover Ameren Illinois and MidAmerican Energy also. Those utilities are part of another power-grid operator called MISO, or the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. Unlike PJM, MISO considers all votes to be a matter of public record, except for the selection or removal of committee chairs and vice chairs. However, it is difficult to track down the voting information, so this bill improves access to information in MISO as well. (You shouldn’t have to be an expert to find voting data.) This idea is gaining traction. Last year, several states, including Illinois, attempted to pass similar legislation and failed. This year, at least eight states pushed it (Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia). In a sign of progress, the measure passed the Delaware Senate, and it’s about to become law in Maryland: HB 121, the Utility Transparency and Accountability Act. sponsored by Del. Lorig Charkoudian. “When utilities vote at regional transmission organizations, they have impacts on our clean energy transition and the cost of electricity,” said Rep. Joyce Mason, the chief sponsor of the Illinois bill, said when the idea was first proposed in Illinois last year. “My bill introduces better transparency for how utilities vote in our electric markets, which is part of a healthy democracy. As a legislator, my votes are public – it should be the same for utilities whose votes impact the affordability and cleanliness of our electricity. ” To learn more about our special project to hold PJM accountable, visit our Consumers for a Better Grid website. Also, watch our video and our PJM 101 presentation.

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Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition unveils 2024 legislative platform

Jim Chilsen — Sat, 04 May 2024 20:37:23 +0000

The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), of which CUB is a member, has introduced its 2024 platform—a slate of legislation outlining critical solutions in the power, buildings, and transportation sectors that accelerate Illinois’ climate, equity, and energy goals. (Read the ICJC’s full release and watch the Springfield news conference.) In the ICJC Platform, the Clean and Reliable Grid Act (SB3637), Clean and Healthy Buildings Act, and Clean and Equitable Transportation Act work together to tackle issues that impact Illinoisans in every facet of daily life. The Clean and Reliable Grid Act expedites our path to 100 percent clean renewable energy and strengthens the capacity and reliability of our electric grid. “Illinois is already a leader on climate justice and workforce transition, but we still have work to do to secure a resilient, affordable power grid operating on 100 percent clean energy. We know that power grids in Illinois and across the country are outdated, inefficient, and increasingly vulnerable in extreme weather events, which are all the more common due to the effects of climate change,” said Representative Ann Williams, Chairwoman of the Energy and Environment Committee. “With the implementation of the Clean and Reliable Grid Act, we will reduce barriers to building necessary transmission lines, maximize energy efficiency policies, and offer customers options to save money on electricity. These sensible policies will support Illinois’ carbon reduction goals in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and enable us to rapidly modernize and electrify the buildings and transportation sectors. The Clean and Reliable Grid Act will ensure our electric grid is strong, reliable, and affordable so that we can tackle these new horizons in our clean energy economy.” By improving Illinois’ electric grid and speeding up the approval and connection of clean energy projects, Illinois will be ready to capitalize on the benefits of transitioning the heating systems and appliances that power homes and buildings to clean energy. The Clean and Healthy Buildings Act will require gas utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, require the Illinois Commerce Commission to embed affordability into ratemaking and decision-making, and help people lower their gas bills through gas energy efficiency standards. “Just last year, following record-setting profits, all major Illinois gas utility companies sought historic rate hikes that resulted in a $813 million increase in utility customers’ annual bills. These rate hikes are particularly egregious when you consider dirty gas’s impact on our health and climate,” said State Sen. Celina Villanueva. “Not only are fossil fuels expensive, but burning them in our homes produces benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical, and has been linked to childhood asthma, which is more prevalent in communities of color. Decarbonizing our heavily polluting buildings sector is the next urgent opportunity in climate action, and Illinois can once again lead the nation in equitable climate policy by passing the Clean and Healthy Buildings Act.” While buildings contribute significantly to Illinois’ climate pollution, transportation is the state’s largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions source. The Clean and Equitable Transportation Act addresses vehicle pollution, going beyond electrifying vehicles to include comprehensive solutions. “Sustainable transportation must be made a priority — it supports livable, walkable communities; enables equitable and […]

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Infrastructure bill awaits Biden’s signature, climate package faces uphill battle

Hannah — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 19:29:47 +0000

The House has passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that would provide a much needed boost to the country’s broadband, utility and transportation services. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the $1 trillion plan in the coming weeks, but the bill’s companion, a $1.75 trillion social safety net and climate policy package, faces an uphill battle in Washington. A big thank you to CUB supporters who sent hundreds of messages to Washington urging passage of the infrastructure bill. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed the Senate in August and the House on November 5, will upgrade America’s roads, bridges, airports and rail systems while also expanding internet service and addressing the nation’s overworked electrical grid. What’s in the infrastructure package? Among other things, the Infrastructure investment and Jobs Act contains funding for: Electric vehicles. The bill would provide $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations. Electric and hybrid school buses will also be purchased with an additional $5 billion. Internet access. $65 billion is earmarked for the expansion and improvement of internet access for low-income consumers, rural areas and tribal communities. Electric grid modernization. The legislation sets aside $65 billion to improve the power grid, a system that has become less reliable and resilient in recent years. The funds would also be used to support carbon capture initiatives and cleaner electricity sources. Water. Water and wastewater infrastructure will see $55 billion from the bill. $15 billion of that total is to be used to replace lead pipes, and $10 billion is to clean up contaminated water. Public transit. Some of the $39 billion for public transportation will be distributed to state and local governments to purchase zero- or low-emission buses. The remaining funds will help expand access and improve accessibility for people with disabilities. An additional $66 billion will be allocated to expand and improve Amtrak service nationwide. According to an analysis by Illinois Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, among other benefits, Illinois should see: $1.7 billion to improve drinking and wastewater infrastructure. About $4 billion to improve access to public transit. At least $100 million for broadband improvements. About 228,000 Illinoisans currently do not have broadband access. As part of the package, about 2.9 million low-income Illinoisans would get an internet access benefit. $149 million to expand electric vehicle charging networks in Illinois. Now that the infrastructure bill has passed, legislators are now turning to its companion bill, dubbed the Build Back Better Act. The $1.75 trillion package includes provisions on child care, eldercare, healthcare and prescription drug pricing, and it would funnel $550 billion toward climate and clean energy initiatives. The bill requires passage in the Senate and the House. Senate supporters have said they hope to pass it by Thanksgiving. The legislation does not have bipartisan support, so the climate package’s future is uncertain. Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators and let them know you support necessary action to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect utility customers. (Send a message to Washington now!) Build Back Better contains funding for: Clean energy tax credits: Over 10 years, $320 billion in tax credits […]

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Big step forward: Illinois Senate passes energy bill, now it’s on to the House

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:25:00 +0000

After more than two years pushing for comprehensive energy legislation that fights climate change and secures clean, affordable energy for Illinois, we’ve taken a key step forward this month. In the wee hours of the morning Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Illinois Senate passed legislation and sent it to the House. Senate Bill 18 passed by a vote of 39-16-2. “This is definitely a step in the right direction, but there’s more work to do in the House to finalize this legislation,” CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen said. “Failure is not an option when it comes to passing legislation that seeks consumer-friendly ways to solve a problem we can’t ignore: climate change. It is essential that we get a strong, pro-consumer clean energy bill across the finish line.” While there was broad agreement on most of SB 18’s provisions, there were still key issues to be resolved in the House. That included a timeline for coal-fired power plants, like the municipally owned Prairie State facility in Southern Illinois and Springfield’s Dallman coal plant, to ratchet down their emissions for the next several years before closing for good in 2045. Then, on Friday, September 3, it was reported that a new amendment, SB 1751, House Amendment 1 (the Climate and Equitable Jobs Bill), included such pollution-reduction targets for those two plants. The amendment is supported by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, of which CUB is a member, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The amendment includes a plan to move Illinois to a zero-carbon power grid by 2045, with specific benchmarks for Prairie State and Dallman: They would have to reduce carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2045. (Take Action: Urge the Illinois House to support the Climate and Equitable Jobs Bill.) The House could take up the legislation as early as Wednesday. (A House committee has scheduled a hearing on the bill for Thursday.) If the House passes a bill with key changes, it will have to be sent back to the Senate for consideration. There is urgency to pass a bill: A grim report from the United Nations stressed that the world must begin now to move away from dirty energy in order to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change. CUB’s own research shows that not only is climate change a health threat, but it also could lead to billions of dollars in higher power bills if we do nothing. Money to support clean, affordable solar power has dried up. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that after a state incentive program ran out of money last year, just 313 small rooftop solar projects were completed statewide in the three-month period ending June 30. That’s compared with 2,908 a year earlier. Solar had been booming in Illinois, but stumbled after these incentives from an earlier law, the Future Energy Jobs Act, ran out. Energy giant Exelon has said it will close two nuclear power plants, Byron and Dresden, if it doesn’t get support through the energy legislation. In fact, after the bill passed the Senate, the company said Illinois must finalize the legislation by Sept. 13, or Byron will close. Most […]

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Bipartisan infrastructure bill would see funds for electric grid, internet, EVs

Hannah — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 14:38:55 +0000

On Tuesday this week, the Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill that takes aim at the nation’s failing infrastructure. The plan includes funding for roads and bridges, broadband infrastructure and access, electric vehicle charging stations and research, and aged water systems. “Today the Senate takes a decades overdue step to revitalize America’s infrastructure and give our workers, our businesses, our economy the tools to succeed in the 21st century,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. The largest share of the bill — $110 billion — is set aside for roads and bridges. But it also includes: $73 billion for the electric grid and power infrastructure $55 billion for water systems and infrastructure $65 billion for broadband investments $15 billion for electric vehicles The bill now awaits a vote by the House. If approved, Illinois should receive more than $15 billion for projects, according to the White House and Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. These state-specific funds include at least $100 million to expand broadband access and make it more affordable. Illinois would also see $149 million funneled to the expansion of electric vehicle charging networks. “Illinoisans from Chicago to Cairo will see the tangible impacts of this bill and the jobs it will create,” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said in a statement. The infrastructure bill now heads to the House, but its future is uncertain, as some critics have argued the legislation doesn’t go far enough to combat climate change. Following the senate’s vote on the infrastructure bill, the body voted to begin work on another critical piece of legislation–an ambitious $3.5 trillion budget bill that is a companion to the infrastructure proposal. The budget measure will include bold carbon emission reductions and clean energy development provisions, according to an outline released by Sen. Schumer. Please, urge our representatives in Washington to pass this infrastructure bill and a budget that helps consumers, improves broadband and advances clean energy.

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Update from Springfield: Negotiations for strong clean energy bill at an impasse

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 16:05:53 +0000

In the first week of August, there were major developments at the State Capitol in the fight for a pro-consumer clean energy bill. Fossil fuel interests have stalled a proposal favored by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, of which CUB is a member. A major sticking point is that the fossil fuel supporters want dirty coal power plants to stay open indefinitely. “As I have made clear, the time for climate action is now. Comprehensive, clean, equitable, and ethical energy reform is what the people of this state need and deserve, and the clock is ticking,” Gov. Pritzker wrote in a response to a labor coalition, Climate Jobs Illinois, that announced negotiations with environmental and consumer advocates were at an impasse. “The cost of doing nothing is colossal,” the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition added in a letter to legislators. “Big utility companies will remain unchecked, raising rates and racking up profits while consumers foot the bill….The potential for alignment still exists, but it cannot be achieved by putting the interests of large, multi-billion dollar fossil fuel interests first or shutting out communities of color from a clean energy economy.” CUB is working for a strong, pro-consumer energy bill that would: Launch a responsible plan to fight climate change and work toward 100 percent clean energy by 2045. (This is an urgent need for our planet and our bottom lines. A CUB study found that unchecked climate change could lead to $10.9 billion in higher electric bills over the next 30 years.) Support low-cost clean energy and give a boost to the solar energy market. Solar has boomed in Illinois—making the state a national leader—but has sputtered after incentives from an earlier law, the Future Energy Jobs Act, ran out. In fact, if Illinois doesn’t pass a bill by the end of August, more than $300 million in money collected from power utility customers to support solar power must be returned. Supporting clean energy creates jobs for communities that need it the most—including those abandoned by the coal industry. Replace the unfair electric formula rate-setting system with one that can provide more oversight. Allow state regulators to open an investigation into how to fairly compensate ComEd customers for the utility’s corruption scandal. (CUB is fighting in federal court for a refund, but we need to fight this battle on multiple fronts.) Create an independent ethics monitor at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to rein in utilities. Also, require utilities to have an ethics compliance officer at their headquarters. Pave the way for cleaner, more affordable electric transportation options. Expand energy efficiency programs that have already helped lower energy bills by billions of dollars. Meanwhile, in late July, Exelon, the parent company of ComEd, announced it would close two nuclear power plants if it didn’t get state support that’s in the governor’s proposal. “We will continue to work for pro-consumer legislation that is a net win for consumers–that in the long run is good for consumers’ power bills because it expands energy efficiency, fights the expensive consequences of climate change, supports low-cost clean energy and holds utilities accountable,” […]

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$2.3 trillion infrastructure package tackles internet access, EVs, grid modernization

Hannah — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:36:02 +0000

The White House released its economic development strategy, a $2.3 trillion package that focuses on post-pandemic economic recovery, job development and infrastructure upgrades. Dubbed the American Jobs Plan, the proposal also includes key utility provisions, including a path to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2035. CUB breaks down some of the utility-related highlights: Expanding access to affordable Internet The American Jobs Act would expand broadband infrastructure to underserved areas to reach 100 percent high-speed coverage. Financial support would also be available to help modernize broadband networks owned by local governments, nonprofits and cooperatives. Why CUB likes this: Millions of Americans can’t use broadband internet, even if the appropriate infrastructure exists where they live. CUB has fought for stronger internet laws at the state level because we know costly internet bills and equipment can be hard to afford on a fixed budget. The pandemic further emphasized this digital divide, turning homes into offices and classrooms. We’d like to see more detail on how the Administration would close the gap, but we like that it aims to reduce the cost of broadband across the board. Water infrastructure upgrades Upgrading and modernizing America’s water infrastructure is essential to community health, especially as lead pipes and lines still service six to ten million homes in the US. The plan would fund $45 billion in water infrastructure grants through the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the plan, this investment will reduce lead exposure in homes and more than 400,000 schools and childcare facilities across the country. It will also scale up existing, successful programs, including $56 billion in grants and low-cost flexible loans to states, Tribes, territories and disadvantaged communities across the country. Small water systems and household well and wastewater systems will also see funding. Why CUB likes this: We just did a statewide campaign introducing a new interactive tool that tracks how expensive privatization can be for water customers across Illinois. Cash-strapped municipalities may sell their systems to a private water company because they’re looking for ways to make expensive upgrades to their aging public water systems. Proposals like this give these communities more options to make upgrades rather than just selling their systems to a private company that’s likely to charge its customers more for water. Electric vehicles President Biden is proposing a $174 billion investment in the electric vehicle (EV) market to spur domestic production and create jobs. Consumers will also get rebates and tax incentives to buy American-made EVs. An increase in EV production must be accompanied by an increase in charging stations. The plan promises a national network of 500,000 new EV chargers by 2030. Through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, 50,000 diesel transit vehicles will be electrified, as will 20 percent of school buses. The federal fleet, including the United States Postal Service, will also make steps to electrification. Why CUB likes this: In our “ABCs of EVs” series, CUB argues how EVs can reduce costs and pollution for everyone, and we support provisions in Illinois’ proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) that would make that happen. Supportive national policy can’t replace CEJA–we need […]

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CEJA sponsors reintroduce bill, pledge to pass legislation by May

Hannah — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 21:51:51 +0000

Members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition today reintroduced a stronger Clean Energy Jobs Act, with a pledge from bill sponsors to pass the comprehensive energy legislation in the General Assembly by May 2021. “The days of ComEd, Exelon, Ameren, and big fossil fuel companies meeting in a backroom to decide energy policy are over,” State Rep. Ann Williams said at the news conference held Tuesday morning. “We need to put the people of Illinois first, not utility company profits, and that’s what CEJA does.” The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is the only bill in Springfield that moves Illinois to 100 percent clean energy by 2050, creates thousands of much-needed equitable jobs and holds utilities accountable without raising taxes, hiking electric bills, or giving bailouts to corrupt utility companies. (Sign our petition and tell your legislators we need CEJA now!) Supporters say the need for comprehensive, consumer-friendly energy legislation is urgent in the face of powerful polluters and the growing impact of climate change. Guadalupe Bueno didn’t have a choice to become a climate activist. Her hometown, Waukegan, is home to a coal plant and numerous superfund sites. In a video played at the news conference, Bueno said CEJA can’t wait, especially in communities like her own, left in the lurch when coal companies cut and run, leaving joblessness, contaminated work sites and property tax revenue deficits in their wake. But as CEJA’s House sponsor Williams points out, Illinois is up against three other major crises at the moment: COVID, social and economic injustice and corruption. While CEJA isn’t an answer to the state’s every woe, the bill does include provisions that will help Illinois communities recover from the pandemic, which has left many unemployed and struggling to afford their utility bills. This is especially true among Black and Latinx communities, which have been hit disproportionally hard by the pandemic. “Our communities have borne the brunt of the health problems associated with pollution, and we have taken a huge toll in death and joblessness from COVID-19. CEJA is a key component to economic recovery and building back better,” said State Rep. Kam Buckner, House chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. “We don’t just want electric vehicle charging stations, rooftop and community solar, and energy efficiency projects completed in Black neighborhoods and communities. We want Black workers installing them, and we want Black-owned businesses designing the projects and getting them built,” said State Sen. Robert Peters, Senate chair of the Illinois legislative Black Caucus. “CEJA is the only comprehensive energy bill that delivers on that promise.” CUB supports the bill because it protects utility bills by expanding energy efficiency programs and implementing electricity market reforms. CEJA also is the only bill that calls for fair compensation for ComEd customers after federal prosecutors caught Illinois’ largest electric utility in a bribery scandal to pass legislation that led to a new system of setting rates and opened the door to multiple increases. CEJA would replace that system, called formula rates, with one that is more fair for consumers and better protects them from unfair rate hikes. […]

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CUB’s Consumer Agenda for 2021

Celeste — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 21:47:16 +0000

Report from David Kolata, CUB executive director Happy New Year, everyone. I thank you for your support of CUB and your interest in working for lower utility bills and cleaner energy. As we look ahead to 2021, I want to give you a report on the major challenges facing Illinois consumers. The issues below—in no particular order—are important to our bottom lines and our planet. Together, we will need to stand up for clean, affordable energy and consumer protections in 2021. A terrible FERC ruling: Over the last few years this has been a major concern for CUB. Certain members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted in 2019 to revamp electricity market rules and bail out fossil fuel power plants. The move threatens to cost most Illinois consumers up to $1.7 billion in higher power bills over the next decade—and it would make climate change worse. How to fight it: CUB is working for the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), comprehensive energy legislation proposed in Springfield that would, among other things, protect Illinois consumers from the damaging FERC ruling. ComEd corruption: ComEd has been fined $200 million by federal prosecutors, accused of using bribery to pass favorable legislation in Springfield. Yet, while the company has paid the federal government for its wrongdoing, consumers hurt by the company’s actions haven’t gotten one cent. How to fight it: CUB has partnered with former Gov. Pat Quinn and the consumer-rights law firm Edelson PC to sue ComEd in federal court, accusing it of bribery and racketeering activities. Our goal is to fight before anybody (the courts, the Illinois Commerce Commission and General Assembly) to win the most restitution possible for ComEd customers. The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) also has a provision that would require ComEd to pay restitution. In addition, CEJA contains provisions that would hold all utilities more accountable, by creating an ethics monitor, and replacing the legislation that allowed ComEd and Ameren to set rates by a formula. That formula rate legislation, which CUB has opposed multiple times and is at the center of the scandal, contained too few consumer protections against unfair rate hikes. CEJA would replace formula rates with a more fair and transparent system that would require ComEd and Ameren to prove how investments would make utility bills more affordable. Rate hikes: As the year begins, two of the state’s natural gas providers are threatening consumers with more than $100 million in combined rate hikes. How to fight it: CUB is currently before the Illinois Commerce Commission challenging Ameren Illinois’ natural gas rate-hike request of about $97 million (down from the original $102 million request) and North Shore Gas’ request of about $10 million. CUB is ready to mount similar challenges against any rate-hike request by Illinois utilities. Rising natural gas bills: A natural gas surcharge approved by the General Assembly years ago helps major utilities sidestep the regulatory process and raise heating bills, forcing many customers into financial crisis to cover billions of dollars in mismanaged utility spending. How to fight it: CUB, as part of a coalition of consumer advocates, has been working […]

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