legislative battles 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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Amid electricity price spike, CUB joins advocates to urge passage of the Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act in Fall Veto Session

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:05:01 +0000

Amid an electricity price spike sparked by unprecedented power demand, CUB joined other advocates to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB25) in the October veto session. The legislation would implement a number of reforms to help reduce power prices and lower consumers’ utility bills in the long run. “Illinoisans are hurting from electricity price spikes – we call on state leaders to act and protect consumers by getting the CRGA Act across the finish line,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said at a news conference. “Illinois urgently needs the CRGA Act because it would expand energy efficiency programs and add more battery storage projects to the power grid to help bring down electricity prices and lower bills.” The Fall Veto Session is Oct. 14-16 and 28-30. “Illinois faces a long road of rapidly escalating power bills if we don’t act now. For the sake of our power bills, we must pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act,” Moskowitz added. Illinois has made historic steps forward in securing clean and affordable energy for consumers thanks in large part to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), but the state now faces unprecedented energy challenges. After two decades of relatively steady demand, electricity usage is now skyrocketing due to power-hungry data centers. What’s more, poor regional and national policy hampers Illinois’ progress. Over the summer, Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill that at the end of the year will phase out solar and energy efficiency tax incentives that have helped consumers make home improvements to reduce their utility bills. Also, regional power grid operators have failed to quickly connect the most affordable resources to the power grid. As a result, painful price spikes have slammed Ameren and Commonwealth Edison customers across Illinois. “The Illinois General Assembly and Governor’s Office have been working hard over the past year to get Illinois’ energy policy right. We know that the answer to rising electricity costs is to continue to implement CEJA and pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act,” said state Rep. Ann Williams, who spoke at the news conference. “The CRGA Act accelerates clean energy resources like energy efficiency and battery storage, which are cost-effective and strengthen our energy grid, while also removing barriers to clean energy deployment and giving Illinoisans tools to save money on their electricity bills. This bill is ready to be voted on this veto session and now is the time for action.” The CRGA Act offers a comprehensive plan to meet the challenges facing our electric grid by making investments that prioritize affordability and reliability for consumers and businesses. Among its commonsense provisions, the legislation would: Add 3 gigawatts (GW) of battery storage to the system, enough to power millions of homes and help bring down energy prices. Battery storage is like insurance for our power grid. By making smart, cost-effective investments in battery storage, Illinois can make our power grid more resilient and reduce costs for consumers from volatile energy markets. Give ratepayers tools to reduce their utility bills like increasing access to rebates to weatherize […]

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CUB’s 2025 State Capitol agenda: Fighting high bills, ridiculous charges, secret votes and supplier overcharges

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:50:52 +0000

By Bryan McDaniel CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs The thing about consumer advocates is that we never give up. That’s why year after year, we’re advocating for strong, pro-consumer policy in the halls of the State Capitol. Here’s a summary of what we’re working on. Senate Bill 75: The Water Affordability Act The 2025 session is off to a fast start for consumers with the assignment of SB 75, the Water Affordability Act, to a Senate Committee. CUB helped to introduce the bill along with Sen. Laura Murphy. It’s never easy to pass good consumer legislation in Springfield and this bill will be no different–we face stiff opposition from Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water, which just received rate hikes. The legislation would end the Qualifying Infrastructure Plant (QIP) surcharge, which allows water utilities to raise rates more quickly, and it would require shareholders to pay the majority of the price tag when a utility purchases a water or sewer system. Under current law, Aqua and Illinois American can charge customers for 100 percent of those costs. Take Action: Urge Springfield to Pass the Water Affordability Act (SB 75) Senate Bill 1275: The Utility Transparency Act CUB has worked with Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton to have SB 1275, the Utility Transparency Act, introduced again this year. The measure follows similar legislation passed in Colorado, Maine, and Connecticut that helped reduce certain ridiculous expenses utilities can recover from ratepayers. The measure here in Illinois would prohibit investor-owned private utilities like ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, Ameren and Illinois American Water from charging customers for these expenses: Memberships in trade associations that push their agenda; Work devoted to political issues campaigns, such as referendums; Pricey insurance the utilities buy to protect their shareholders; Goodwill advertising that enhances a utility’s image and benefits shareholders; Outside lawyers and experts when a utility pushes for a rate hike. Needless to say, the utilities aren’t excited about this bill. Ratepayers should not be paying to enhance utility political power and utility efforts to raise rates. SB 1275 is a commonsense measure. Take Action: Urge Springfield to Pass the Utility Transparency Act (SB 1275) House Bill 1284: Electric and Gas Customer Protection Act Market reports, based on alternative supplier rate data submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), continue to show that consumers with alternative electric suppliers have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, compared with the utility price. HB 1284, sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet, features two critical consumer protections that will help to ensure Illinois electric and gas markets are working as intended for consumers. The bill would: require a customer signature if the supplier wants to increase its rate at the time of auto renewal; prohibit supplier agents from being paid on commission. CUB is tired of meeting consumers being charged double and even triple the utility price. It’s wrong, and it needs to end. HB 1284 would go a long way towards helping. Take Action: Support the Electric and Gas Customer Protection Act (HB 1284) House Bill 1802: Electric Utility Accountability HB 1802 , sponsored by Rep Joyce Mason, is an […]

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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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CUB testimony recommends $492 million reduction in Ameren electric hike

Elizabeth — Mon, 15 May 2023 15:48:29 +0000

Ameren Illinois’ proposed four-year electric rate hike should be slashed by at least $492 million, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) announced Monday, citing expert testimony it filed. “While a utility has to maintain its system, Ameren should not get a blank check,” CUB Executive Director David Kolata said. “Our expert witnesses combed through Ameren’s rate-hike proposal and cut out the fat, including an excessive profit rate for shareholders. We are hoping other parties will be able to recommend further reductions.” Ameren customers can visit CUBHelpCenter.com to sign a petition to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) against the proposed increase. On January 20, Ameren Illinois filed for a four-year, $481 million rate hike with the ICC. For a customer who uses about 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually (or about 833 kWh a month), the hike would increase Ameren delivery rates by an average of roughly $6.27 a month each year, for a cumulative increase of about $25 a month by 2027. The company is also asking for a $148 million gas rate hike, which will increase bills by an average of about $6.68 a month for customers who use about 745 therms a year (or about 62 therms monthly). Since 2021, Ameren Illinois’ parent company has made more than $2 billion in profits and the Illinois utility has received two electric rate hikes totaling $118 million ($57.6 million in January 2022 and $61 million in January 2023). Consumer advocates have sounded the alarm in 2023, as major Illinois gas and electric utilities are pushing for a record six rate hikes totaling $2.9 billion. In response to this unprecedented attack, several groups and agencies are challenging increases, including the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Environmental Defense Fund, Illinois PIRG and CUB. In the Ameren electric case, CUB, the Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers (IIEC) group, Federal Executive Agencies, Prairie Rivers Network and United Congregations of Metro East partnered to commission expert analysis from Brubaker & Associates, Inc., a Missouri-based consulting firm that specializes in utility regulation. Through the testimony, CUB makes several recommendations to slash the rate hike by nearly a half-billion dollars: $492.3 million. CUB focused on several key areas, including: Return on Equity. Ameren has proposed an excessive jump in its “return on equity” (ROE)—or profit rate for shareholders—from about 7.85 percent to 10.5 percent. CUB argues for a more reasonable 9.3 percent ROE, which would reduce the rate hike by $79.4 million. In the rate-setting process, ROE is the most important component of a utility’s “rate of return,” which is the rate at which the utility recovers the cost of financing physical assets, such as electric meters, substations and wires. Capital Structure. CUB’s expert testimony also found problems with another key component of the rate of return: “capital structure”—basically how it finances infrastructure projects. Ameren’s proposed “common equity ratio”—how much of the utility’s financing comes from issuing stocks—was too high, CUB argued. The more reasonable equity ratio CUB recommends would reduce the rate hike by another $161.9 million. Residential Sales Forecast. Ameren calculated its rate increase proposal based on forecasts of its number of residential customers and usage per residential […]

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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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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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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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