Springfield Update Archives | Citizens Utility Board

CUB joins legislative champions in Springfield to urge passage of Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 17:07:48 +0000

With consumers and the power grid facing unprecedented threats–including price spikes, surging demand sparked by data centers, and poor regional policy–legislative champions joined with consumer advocates on Tuesday to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB2473/HB3779). Please: Act now to protect our power bills and our power grid: Urge Springfield to support the CRGA Act. Watch the livestream of Tuesday’s Springfield news conference in which CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz and other supporters explain why the CRGA Act is needed. Here’s the situation: Illinois’ power grid is struggling to keep pace with a surge in demand for energy, largely caused by data centers. Yet, at a time when clean, affordable energy is most needed, power grid operators in Illinois–Regional Transmission Organizations PJM Interconnection and and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)–are years behind schedule in connecting clean energy projects to the grid that could power millions of homes. As a result, Illinois electric customers are increasingly threatened with poor grid reliability and unexpected price spikes–including one about to hit ComEd customers on June 1. Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in 2021, historic, nation-leading legislation that aims for 100 percent clean energy by 2050. But with these unprecedented threats, consumer and environmental advocates want to build on the progress of CEJA by passing the CRGA Act. “Too often Illinois electricity customers face price spikes because of poor policy from power grid operators PJM and MISO,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) was a historic step toward 100 percent clean, affordable energy, but our work isn’t done. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act is urgently needed legislation that builds on CEJA and is good for our power grid and good for our power bills.” The CRGA Act offers a comprehensive suite of commonsense solutions to meet the challenges facing our electric grid while prioritizing affordability for consumers. Among many provisions, the CRGA Act would: Strengthen energy efficiency by increasing the access to rebates to weatherize homes and purchase efficient appliances like HVAC systems and water heaters. Requires new large-scale data centers to cover their own grid interconnection costs and energy needs and bring in new clean energy. It also creates a process for regulators to set rules ensuring residential electric customers are not harmed by these energy-guzzling facilities. Strengthen the power grid by promoting improvements to transmission infrastructure, maximize the amount of clean electricity power lines can carry (through grid-enhancing technologies), and reduce bottlenecks in the process to develop and improve transmission lines. Expand clean, affordable energy by launching an Energy Storage Procurement Program, which directs the Illinois Power Agency to create a long-term energy storage procurement plan to meet future energy goals, and give more households, nonprofit groups and public facilities access to battery storage. (Battery storage is important because it can store solar and wind energy for use even during times when clean energy isn’t being produced.) Launch a “virtual power plant” initiative to pool thousands of small solar and storage projects to replace dirty, outdated, and expensive power […]

The post CUB joins legislative champions in Springfield to urge passage of Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

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 […]

The post CUB’s 2025 State Capitol agenda: Fighting high bills, ridiculous charges, secret votes and supplier overcharges appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

CUB’s Springfield Update: Thank you to our supporters!

Jim Chilsen — Wed, 29 May 2024 14:48:22 +0000

By Bryan McDaniel, CUB Director of Governmental Affairs With major Illinois utilities pushing for a record number of rate hikes over the past year, CUB drafted and found sponsors for four pro-consumer bills at the State Capitol. CUB’s legislation addressed the kind of issues that frustrate Illinois consumers: Worked to protect customers from paying utility costs that we shouldn’t, like country club memberships for companies and outside expert witnesses in Illinois rate-hike cases. (Read the Chicago Sun-Times editorial in favor of this bill.) Continued to push for relief for water customers burdened by the high costs of privatization. Fought to bring back low-cost AT&T landline plans. Introduced a bill to require that utilities disclose how they vote at regional transmission organizations–the power grid operators, like PJM and MISO, that have a major impact on how affordable, clean and reliable our energy is. Can’t say enough about our bill sponsors. Thank you Rep. Theresa Mah, Rep. Lilian Jiménez, Rep. Nabeela Syed, Rep. Joyce Mason and Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton. CUB continued and, in some cases, started important conversations on lowering utility bills around the state. The fight continues, and CUB will not give up. Sometimes the fight also includes playing defense. CUB testified for consumers during a nearly three-hour Energy & Environment Committee hearing on a right-of-first-refusal proposal, which would give Illinois electric utilities a lucrative monopoly over the building of transmission lines. With billions of dollars of transmission lines set to be built and upgraded across the state the utilities want to corner the market on that investment. While such a policy would be wonderful for utilities’ profits, it wouldn’t be so for consumers’ wallets. A competitive bidding process for transmission-line projects helps keep the costs we pay lower than they otherwise would be. As I write this we are heading into the final week of Session. CUB will be on alert to help stop any utility attempts to inflate their profits, and we will continue to educate lawmakers on how the bills we worked to introduce would save ratepayers money. The thousands of messages you send and petition signatures you provide make a difference, they truly do, as do your donations. The support of our members truly means a lot. Thank you!

The post CUB’s Springfield Update: Thank you to our supporters! appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

Springfield Alert: Your action needed to stop “Right of First Refusal” proposals pushed by electric utilities

Elizabeth — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 19:39:09 +0000

Remember last year’s big consumer victory, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker vetoed Ameren Illinois’ “Right of First Refusal” proposal? The plan would have needlessly raised costs for electric customers by giving Ameren a monopoly over transmission projects in its territory, and, thus, eliminating a competitive bidding process. It would have been like the utility being gifted with another rate hike. In this legislative session, we don’t expect Ameren to give up the fight–and we expect ComEd to try to get in on the action too. That’s trouble. Your action a few months ago helped secure a veto–and now we need your help again: Tell the General Assembly to say no to an Ameren/ComEd money-grab Stay tuned for CUB to announce its full legislative agenda this spring. In the meantime, sign up for CUB email alerts to stay in the know and please donate to support our work for Illinois consumers. Thanks for all your support, we couldn’t do what we do without you.

The post Springfield Alert: Your action needed to stop “Right of First Refusal” proposals pushed by electric utilities appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

Capitol Report: CUB’s 2024 legislative agenda to lower utility bills

Sophia — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 15:43:14 +0000

Each year CUB works at the State Capitol on a broad range of issues related to our core mission of saving consumers money on their utility bills. “It’s not easy fighting for consumer interests against the big utilities in Springfield, but I know you’ve got my back,” said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs. “We’re on the lookout to oppose legislation that would advance the utilities’ agenda and increase our costs. And we’re also working to support proposed pieces of legislation that are common-sense, pro-consumer solutions. This year, we’ll need help from CUB supporters to build awareness among Illinois legislators. Be prepared to take action in the weeks to come. ” CUB’s priorities for the 2024 Illinois General Assembly session include the following. (At the end, we also update you on the “Right of First Refusal” legislation we oppose.) Utility Affordability Act Bill Number: Senate Bill 2885/House Bill 5061 Sponsor: Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton and Rep. Theresa Mah What it does: Current Illinois law allows utilities to recover certain expenses from their customers that consumer advocates have long argued should be paid for by shareholders. Under the Utility Affordability Act, investor-owned electric, gas and water utilities in Illinois would be prohibited from charging customers for the following expenses: Utility dues for memberships in trade associations that push the companies’ agenda. Work devoted to political issues campaigns, such as referendums. Goodwill advertising that enhances the utility image and benefits shareholders. Charitable donations made by utilities on behalf of ratepayers. Insurance protection for shareholders. Lawyer and expert witness costs when utilities push for rate hikes before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Typically, such legal expenses take up the largest chunk of these recoverable costs. CUB estimates the Illinois legislation could, for the average year, save ratepayers across Illinois more than $50 million, based on documents the utilities filed with their most recent rate cases. What you can do: Send a message to your legislators in favor of the Utility Affordability Act. More on this bill: The Utility Affordability Act is the latest reform measure in the country designed to bar utilities from burdening customers with potentially tens of millions of dollars in expenses for self-serving purposes to increase their political power and advance their agendas. Such self-serving spending should instead be covered by the companies’ shareholders. Three other states have passed similar reform legislation over the past year: Connecticut, Colorado and Maine. Read: The joint news release by CUB and AARP Illinois. The Capitol News Illinois article about the legislation. The Chicago Sun-Times editorial about the legislation: “The Legislature has a chance to inject some common sense into utility bills. It should do so.” Lawmakers across the U.S. seek to curb utility spending on politics, ads and more extras Water Affordability & Accountability Bill Number: House Bill 5157 Sponsor: Rep. Nabeela Syed What it does: This bill would lower water utility bills by: requiring water utility shareholders to pay the majority of costs when the utility buys a water or wastewater system, creating a referendum prior to privatization of water or sewer systems, removing the QIP surcharge that speeds rate increases for utility customers. […]

The post Capitol Report: CUB’s 2024 legislative agenda to lower utility bills appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

Good news: Ameren pulls back ‘Right of First Refusal’ legislation–but this fight is far from over

Elizabeth — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 06:31:38 +0000

UPDATE: Good news from the Fall Veto Session. It was reported on Oct. 25 that Ameren, for now, has thrown in the towel on its attempt to override Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s veto of a bill that would have given it a monopoly on building billions of dollars in transmission lines. A huge thank you to all who helped send well over 1,000 messages to Springfield against Ameren’s proposal. We appreciate your interest and your activism. We’ve won round 1! But this is not the end of the fight. We expect Ameren to join forces with ComEd in the Spring session to push for a statewide monopoly on transmission projects. Again, this proposal is too expensive for consumers. We need transmission to help get clean, affordable energy to consumers who need it the most. But those projects need to be cost-efficient and it’s hard to achieve that without a competitive bidding process for transmission lines. Stay tuned for more developments! As reported earlier in October: Consumer advocates urged the Illinois General Assembly to uphold a gubernatorial veto of Ameren Illinois’ controversial “Right of First Refusal” legislation that would needlessly raise costs for the utility’s electricity customers. The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and AARP Illinois said they were concerned that Ameren would launch a campaign to gain the three-fifths majority needed in both chambers to override the veto in the fall Veto Session (Oct. 24-26, Nov. 7-9). In August, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an amendatory veto, rejecting Amendment 4 of House Bill 3445, which passed in the final days of the legislative session. The proposal would have given Ameren the “Right of First Refusal” on transmission projects in its territory. That means the utility would have a monopoly over these projects, thus eliminating the competitive bidding process and potentially making them more expensive. Customers pay for these transmission projects through their electric bills, so Ameren’s proposal would have exposed customers to higher costs, at a time when they already face a record $481 million electric rate-hike request before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Many Ameren customers also face the utility’s proposed $148 million gas hike. “On behalf of AARP Illinois’ 1.7 million members and all Illinoisans 50-plus, we urge the legislature to do the right thing for Ameren Illinois’ ratepayers and vote ‘NO’ on any attempt to override the Governor’s veto,” said Philippe Largent, State Director of AARP Illinois. “Illinois ratepayers already have some of the highest electric rates in the country and they are bracing for new increases with the Ameren proposal currently under consideration by the ICC. Without competition, there is no incentive for monopolies like Ameren to put ratepayers first, and reduce the cost of building transmission lines.” “Ameren’s ‘Right of First Refusal’ proposal would be bad news for electric customers,” said Bryan McDaniel, CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs. “Building new transmission is important, but those projects need to be cost-efficient, and that’s why a competitive bidding process is necessary. Giving Ameren a monopoly would be another way of giving them a rate hike.” The amendment was introduced in the final days of Illinois’ spring legislative session in late […]

The post Good news: Ameren pulls back ‘Right of First Refusal’ legislation–but this fight is far from over appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

CUB’s guy in Springfield thanks consumers for their involvement

Elizabeth — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 18:26:07 +0000

By: Bryan McDaniel CUB Director of Governmental Affairs Given all the action on energy legislation in the General Assembly over the last few years, 2023 proved a little quieter, until the end of session when Ameren muscled through a proposal to give themselves a monopoly over transmission lines in their territory. Most of the action is at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) this year with a record six rate cases, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointing new commissioners to the ICC: Chairman Doug Scott and Commissioners Conrad R. Reddick and Stacey Paradis. While many groups and advocates were not down in Springfield during COVID times, CUB was there fighting for you. It is nice to see the State Capitol again filled with people who have come to petition their government. CUB plays a lot of defense on your behalf in Springfield, as utilities always have ideas on how to make more money for themselves and shareholders. We also go on the offense by working with legislative sponsors to file pro-consumer bills to save you money and cut into utility profits. Big thank you to those sponsors–Leader Rep. Theresa Mah, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, Rep. Michelle Mussman, Sen. Ann Gillespie and Sen. Cristina Castro–for caring about the people paying utility bills! I also thank Sen. Sue Rezin–one day as a member of the Energy and Public Utilities committee she bucked anti-consumer interests at a hearing and let me speak out against big water corporations and high bills. I thank these supportive legislators because one of the things that comes with filing a CUB-championed bill in Springfield is a line of utility lobbyists at your door, and the headache that comes with that! I’m glad we started the conversation on a number of strong proposals, including legislation that would cap the utilities’ profit rate for shareholders; end the punishing “Qualified Infrastructure Plant” surcharge on gas and water bills; bring back the low-cost AT&T Consumer’s Choice plans and limit how much Illinois American Water or Aqua Illinois consumers would have to pay to cover the acquisition costs when those companies buy up water and wastewater systems. (Read more about the fight against private water companies.) Some positive news from this legislative session: Attorney General Kwame Raoul protects customers. We thanked AG Raoul last year for leading the charge for a pro-consumer bill, and he came through again. This time he helped pass a bill supported by CUB that protects energy customers from disconnection when the temperature is at least 90 degrees or when the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat watch. (The old standard was 95 degrees or hotter.) During the hot, humid, sticky dog days of summer, it’s important to keep everyone safe. Goodbye to the QIP. Part of being a consumer advocate is understanding that victories don’t come easy, and they often don’t come quickly. When you add up the cumulative value of the utilities we take on, the number rapidly approaches hundreds of billions of dollars. (Illinois American parent American Water $29.43 billion + Peoples Gas parent WEC Energy Group $30.78 billion + Nicor Gas parent Southern Company $80.77 billion + ComEd parent […]

The post CUB’s guy in Springfield thanks consumers for their involvement appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

Bring Back Consumer Choice Plans: Support HB 3689

Elizabeth — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 21:08:26 +0000

As part of CUB’s 2023 legislative agenda, the watchdog is working on House Bill 3689 to require AT&T once again to offer the Consumer’s Choice plans as an affordable landline option to consumers. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Michelle Mussman, needs your support. Sign CUB’s HB 3689 petition to tell policymakers that AT&T should offer this low-cost option again. For about a decade, AT&T landline customers saved money on the Consumer’s Choice phone plans. One of the best phone deals in the nation, the plans were created by CUB in a legal settlement with AT&T in 2006 and later mandated by the Illinois General Assembly. We successfully kept the plans available for landline customers for years, but in 2017, AT&T ended the plans as part of its push to deregulate local phone service. Smartphones are great, but the Consumer’s Choice plans were the cheapest, most reliable option for consumers. HB 3689 would also make it easier to help lower-income consumers stay connected by placing a “check box” on bills where customers could donate to an assistance program for internet customers in need. In today’s world, staying connected can make all the difference, especially for Illinois’ most vulnerable consumers. AT&T opposes this bill, and that’s why we need your help. We’re all in this together–so even if you don’t have a landline, please help us stand up to the phone giant and support a low-cost phone option for some of Illinois’ most vulnerable consumers. For more information on current landline options, read CUB’s AT&T Landline Choices fact sheet.

The post Bring Back Consumer Choice Plans: Support HB 3689 appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

Fighting for Illinois Consumers: CUB’s 2023 Legislative Agenda

Elizabeth — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 21:04:31 +0000

Each year CUB works on a broad range of issues related to our core mission of saving consumers money on their utility bills. CUB’s priorities for the 2023 Illinois General Assembly session include the following: HB 2541- Representative Theresa Mah: This bill would cap the profit rate of electric, gas and water utilities at 8% and equity ratio at 50%, unless the utility can prove to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) that doing so would harm consumers by increasing utility borrowing costs. The ROE and equity ratio increases ComEd is seeking for 2024 alone would inflate rates by $221 million. Increasing the profit margin for the utility does nothing to improve service for customers. Currently, in Nicor’s $320.9 million rate case the company is seeking a profit rate of 10.35% and a capital structure with 54.52% common equity. TAKE ACTION: Sign CUB’s petition to put a cap on utility ROE profits. HB 2721- Representative Dagmara Avelar: This proposed legislation would remove a surcharge from water utility bills that supercharges utility spending and thus increases the pace of consumer rate increases. Roughly 15% of Illinois American Water’s requested $100 million rate hike filed last year included fees flowing through the surcharge that were then placed into base rates. TAKE ACTION: Send a message to your state representative urging them to support HB 2721. HB 3689- Representative Michelle Mussman: Consumer’s Choice Plans are low-cost local calling plans that AT&T successfully removed from the Illinois Telecommunications Act in 2017. The phone company built the landline network under rate-of-return regulation, meaning consumers have paid for the network many times over. This bill would bring the Consumer’s Choice Plans back into law and ensure AT&T offers them. The bill would also make it easier to help the less fortunate connect to broadband by placing a “check box” on bills through which people could donate to an assistance program for internet customers in need. TAKE ACTION: Sign CUB’s petition to bring back Consumer’s Choice Plans. SB 1477- Senator Ann Gillespie: Currently, customers pay 100% of acquisition and closing costs when a private utility buys a water or sewer system. The prices paid for systems are inflated due to the “Fair Market Value” appraisal process in state law. The systems are often fully depreciated and then replaced by the private utility. The inflated purchase price paid by utilities are making bills unaffordable for consumers, as demonstrated by Illinois American Water’s $100 million rate case filed last year. This bill would make it so that shareholders pay for 80% of the purchase price, instead of the 0% they currently pay. The current water and sewer privatization model is untenable for consumers. TAKE ACTION: Send a message to your state senator urging them to support SB 1477. SB 1538- Senator Cristina Castro: This proposed legislation would sunset the Qualified Infrastructure Plant (QIP) surcharge on gas bills that has supercharged utility spending and rate increases. Of the $160 million gas rate-hike Ameren filed last month, $53.4 million has flowed through the QIP surcharge and now will be put into base rates. Peoples Gas is currently requesting an increase of $402 […]

The post Fighting for Illinois Consumers: CUB’s 2023 Legislative Agenda appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.

CUB’s Capitol Report: 2022 to-do list includes fighting for gas, water, broadband customers

Sophia — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 22:31:49 +0000

And they’re off! The General Assembly is at the beginning of the spring session. Bills are being introduced, read, and debated. Here’s a summary of what we’re working on this year. Fighting to protect gas customers. It is clear to see when you open your gas bill that something is way off. That something is overly aggressive utility spending that has rapidly increased utility delivery rates (the portion of the bill utilities profit from). Natural gas prices have risen too. This is exacerbating affordability problems. To hear the utilities tell it, low natural gas prices will save the day—and mask the great times they and their shareholders are having at our expense. CUB isn’t so sure it’s a good assumption that natural gas prices will be low in the long-run. Demand for natural gas has increased as more of it is used to generate electricity, and the gas industry is building liquid natural gas facilities as quickly as they can to export gas. If history teaches us anything about gas prices it’s that they go up and down. And when they are low, the industry is doing all they can to make sure they don’t stay that way for long. Learn about the legislation (House Bill 3941, Senate Bill 570) we’re fighting for in Springfield. Thank you for all of your messages to legislators on this issue. Your voice is key. Fighting for water customers. Last year, Illinois American Water filed legislation that would have allowed them to try and place charges on your bill for services you aren’t even taking from the utility company. Luckily, CUB was there to testify against that legislation. This year the company is back with two bills, and we oppose both. The first would insert a review by a state agency before a municipality and its residents could file for eminent domain to take their system back from private utility companies. The second would allow private water utilities to file for “alternative regulation” programs at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). CUB is opposed to that one too, as it has been our experience that private monopolies want “alternative regulation” for things they want to make money on but aren’t under traditional regulation. Also, we’re continuing our campaign to give consumers a say on water privatization. Most Illinoisans are customers of municipal water systems, but a growing problem is two major private companies—American Water and Aqua Illinois—crisscrossing the state to offer top dollar for, what are in most cases, fully depreciated water and wastewater systems. The corporations have been helped by a state law (legislation CUB opposed) that allows them to pass the cost of the purchases—$253 million and counting—onto their customers. CUB is trying to bring more transparency to the process by fighting for legislation (House Bill 4691) that would require municipalities to hold a referendum before they are allowed to sell a public water system to a private company. Fighting for broadband customers. CUB continues to push for legislation (Senate Bill 1557) to get a “check box” on all broadband bills to allow consumers to voluntarily donate to programs to help the less fortunate connect […]

The post CUB’s Capitol Report: 2022 to-do list includes fighting for gas, water, broadband customers appeared first on Citizens Utility Board.