renewable energy Archives | Citizens Utility Board

News release: CUB, Chicagoland counties partner to offer “Solar Switch” program to secure rooftop solar discounts, lower power bills for participants

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:43:33 +0000

The consumer watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is working with five Chicagoland counties, renewable energy advocates and solar professionals to offer a program that can help homeowners install solar panels at a significant discount and reduce their electric bills by hundreds of dollars, CUB announced Thursday. The Solar Switch program is a partnership among Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will Counties, along with the nonprofits CUB and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). The program is managed by iChoosr, a company that administers similar solar programs around the world. Solar Switch is a “group-buy” program, which means it secures volume discounts for quality solar installations, based on how many residents of those five counties, along with residents of Kendall and McHenry counties, participate. The program selects installers through a competitive vetting process and then runs a reverse-auction to secure a low base-price. “As a consumer advocate, CUB wants to educate consumers and empower them to cut their utility bills, and the Solar Switch program does both,” said Marina Minic, CUB’s Solar Programs Coordinator. “The program gives consumers an introduction to the benefits of solar power, and it then connects interested participants to qualified, vetted and affordable solar installers.” Minic said legislation, such as Illinois’ 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, offer multiple incentives that can cover around 60 percent of installation costs. That’s on top of volume discounts the Solar Switch program offers. Once installed, solar panels have the potential to save customers hundreds of dollars a year on their electric bills. Here’s how the Solar Switch program works: Chicagoland residents are invited to register for the program at solarswitch.com/Chicagoland. There, residents can fill out a questionnaire to see if their roof is suitable for solar. (The final deadline to sign up is Sept. 10, 2024.) Registrants will also have access to free, educational webinars. In June, iChoosr organized a reverse auction–a process in which the traditional auction roles of buyer and seller are reversed. That means for each auction there is one buyer (a household or small business) and iChoosr invited qualified, pre-vetted solar providers to compete to offer the lowest bid and win the participant’s business. Registrants receive a personal recommendation, after which qualified installers will conduct remote and onsite roof assessments with those who accept an offer. Participants who review and approve their final quote will then schedule the installation. CUB, MREA and the counties have been involved in a similar group-buy program since 2019, helping more than 600 properties go solar, and educating more than 3,000 consumers about the science and benefits of solar. Residents who participate are expected to save an average of about $4,600 on a typical-sized solar installation, not counting the additional benefits of the federal and state tax credits. The Solar Switch program provides an excellent opportunity for Chicagoland residents to take advantage of these savings and make the switch to renewable energy. Register for free, educational webinars without obligation at solarswitch.com/Chicagoland. Consumers with questions should email hello@solarswitch.com.

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CUB helps Sugar Grove couple secure a solar victory

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 23:11:57 +0000

We wish you a Happy Earth Day. It’s the perfect day to share this story about a victory in helping people secure clean and affordable energy in Illinois: Becky and Mike just wanted to install solar panels, but a local ordinance banning panels on front- or street-facing roofs threatened to block 20 percent of their project, and an estimated $10,000 in potential savings. The Sugar Grove couple didn’t give up–they got to work. They paid $765 to file a petition to change the local zoning code, and spent about eight months researching solar law, attending public meetings and sparking other solar supporters to send letters urging the village board to change the rule. And on a recent night in Sugar Grove, it all paid off–the Village Board voted to change the code! Scott Allen, CUB’s renewable energy policy coordinator, spoke in support of Becky and Mike on TV and at the village meeting. “Everybody take note that organizing, and showing up and talking to your elected officials works,” Scott said in a celebratory video filmed with Becky and Mike after the meeting. Kudos to you, Becky and Mike. And thanks to all of you who support CUB’s advocacy. We’ve got a lot of work to do to make sure everyone has access to clean and affordable energy–but stories like this give us hope. Help support more victories for clean and affordable 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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So what are my choices in the electric market?

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:15:42 +0000

At CUB, we think it’s good to have choices in the electricity market, but it has to be informed choice. Educate yourself to navigate your choices in Illinois’ power market, and cut your electric bill. What are my options? If you are a ComEd or Ameren Illinois customer, here are your basic choices. 1) Stay with the regulated utility, Ameren or ComEd, as your electricity supplier. 2) Go with an alternative supplier that you choose. 3) Go with an alternative supplier that your local government chooses (“municipal aggregation”). So which choice is best for me? Here’s our analysis of each. 1) Staying with your utility as your supplier. It’s likely that staying with ComEd or Ameren Illinois as your supplier is your best bet in terms of saving money. And it also gives you a lot of options to be green and cut your power bills. Read more in the “How can I go green” section below. 2) Go with an alternative supplier that you choose. Illinois’ electricity market has been littered with bad deals, questionable marketing and rip-offs. In fact, since 2015, Illinois consumers with alternative electricity suppliers have lost more than $1 billion. Buyer beware. (Read the “Choosing Another Supplier” tab on our Electric Page for more information.) Some consumers sign up for an alternative supplier because that company offers a “green” plan–an offer that is connected to renewable sources like wind and solar. These can be a legitimate choice, but CUB hears a lot of complaints from people who have paid much higher rates on these plans. Signing up for a green plan means the supplier will take some of your money to buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Buying a REC guarantees that renewable energy will be added somewhere on the grid—NOT that the electricity powering your TV and dishwasher is coming directly from renewable resources. (Read CUB’s fact sheet on green plans.) 3) Go with an alternative supplier that your local government chooses (“municipal aggregation”). Under Illinois law, community leaders can negotiate power deals with an alternative supplier on behalf of all residents. If you want to go with an alternative supplier and your community offers a power deal, this tends to be a safer choice than signing up for a plan that a sales rep pitches to you. That’s because community leaders tend to be more transparent about an offer and they can use the combined buying power of local residents to leverage a better deal with a suppler. Some communities are able to secure renewable energy offers at a price that matches or is similar to the utility supply price. Having said all that, you should always weigh the benefits of a community power deal with the price you would have to pay and how it compares with the utility price. For more information, read CUB’s municipal aggregation fact sheet. Ok, but if I stay with my utility, how can I ‘go green’? Going with a “green” alternative supplier plan–and probably paying more–is NOT the only way to be green and protect the planet. You can participate in these these options, AND you’re a […]

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Mysterious group tries to derail clean energy legislation in Illinois

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 14:25:26 +0000

A mysterious dark money group has reportedly spent more than $250,000 on social media and TV advertising designed to hurt efforts to pass strong clean energy legislation in Illinois, according to research by Capitol Fax and the Clean Jobs Coalition, of which CUB is a member. The shadowy group deceptively calls itself the Clean Energy Transition Project, but as Midwest Energy News reported it doesn’t propose any legitimate clean energy policies. The group doesn’t appear to have any grassroots membership and its main strategy seems to be to manipulate legitimate consumer anger over the ComEd scandal to try to kill pro-consumer legislation like the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). Lacie Newton, a representative of the Clean Energy Transition Project, declined an interview with Midwest Energy News. But CEJA supporters told the publication that Newton’s group is merely a front for the fossil fuel industry. “They are definitely co-opting the messages of climate and clean energy,” said Illinois Environmental Council Executive Director Jen Walling. “They’re putting out negative and false information about our legislation.” The fossil fuel industry hates the Clean Energy Jobs Act, because it would be bad for their bottom line. The bill, which aims to secure 100 percent clean energy for Illinois by 2050, would expand energy efficiency programs that have already saved consumers billions of dollars. It also would implement energy market reforms that would protect ComEd customers from paying for a dirty energy bailout engineered by pro-coal forces on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Also, the bill contains strong utility accountability provisions that would give restitution to ComEd customers in the wake of the company’s bribery scandal and would eliminate the formula rates that are at the center of the controversy. The company has paid a $200 million federal fine after admitting to using bribery to pass legislation that dismantled consumer protections against unfair rate hikes. In addition to those pro-consumer provisions, CUB supports the legislation because it would draw billions of dollars in clean energy investment and jobs and represents the cheapest, fastest way for Illinois to get to 100 percent clean energy without raising power bills, hiking taxes or giving a bailout to big energy companies. State Rep. Ann Williams, a co-sponsor of CEJA, has sent a letter asking Newton to reveal the group’s funding and partnerships. Referring to a scandal in Ohio (the CUB there has been a voice for customers to get compensation), Rep. Williams, the chair of the Illinois House Energy & Environment committee, wrote: “We’ve watched the recent scandal play out in Ohio, where utilities and fossil fuel companies like First Energy and Murray Energy were found to be funneling money through shadowy front groups that look and operate a lot like yours. I certainly hope the Clean Energy Transition Project is not yet another conduit for dark money from dirty coal and gas companies or their allies to influence the legislative process anonymously.” When we fight for pro-consumer legislation, we expect to make enemies. This mysterious group is just a reminder of the fight we have on our hands to pass CEJA in 2021. Send a message to our state leaders […]

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Update: What’s Going On with Net Metering for Ameren Solar Customers?

Jim Chilsen — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 14:44:06 +0000

UPDATE: The Illinois Commerce Commission sided with CUB and state solar advocates in a Dec. 2 ruling, asserting that Ameren’s calculations ended retail-rate net metering for solar customers too soon. Ameren will now return to retail-rate net metering and provide retroactive credits to any customers who might have been affected by the cutoff. Read CUB’s update. You may have seen headlines this fall about Ameren Illinois’ solar policy. Here is CUB’s breakdown of the issue and what it means to solar customers. What Happened? There was action before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) that impacts Ameren’s solar “net metering” policy. Ameren Illinois electric customers who install solar panels on their property have the opportunity to sell excess power they produce back to their utility (Ameren) in a process called net metering. Up until now, that has led to credits equal to the amount of that excess power on both the delivery and supply sides of those customers’ electric bills. Under the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), once the load of Ameren’s net metering customers equals 5% of the total peak demand, the net metering benefit on the delivery side of bills ends for new customers. To be clear: People already getting this benefit on both the delivery and supply sides of bills will continue to do so. This change only impacts new solar customers after Ameren reaches the 5 percent threshold. Those new customers will continue to enjoy net metering on the supply side of their bills, but instead of getting a net metering credit on the delivery side, they will get a one-time rebate, the amount of which will be determined. Again: New and old net metering customers will continue to receive net metering credits on the supply side of their bill. So what happened before state regulators? Ameren informed the ICC that it had hit the 5 percent mark and would end delivery net metering for new residential solar customers, as of Oct. 3. However, solar installers and consumer/environmental advocates said that Ameren was incorrectly calculating the 5 percent by including net metering customers of alternative suppliers in the numerator but not the denominator, and that there was still time until the utility hit the threshold if this error were corrected. Ameren claims it is performing the calculation in accordance with its tariff. So this is a dispute over whether Ameren’s tariff correctly implements the law, and it has now sparked two cases before the ICC: One (20-0389) is Ameren’s attempt to establish the rebate tariff that will be provided to new net metering customers instead of delivery net metering. Another (20-0738) concerns the question over whether Ameren’s tariff correctly interprets FEJA. While the ICC looks into this to determine if Ameren’s calculations methodology is correct, new solar net metering customers (as of Oct. 3) will only see the net metering benefit on the supply side of bills. Depending on how the ICC rules, those customers will retroactively receive either the value of delivery-side net metering or the rebate. What is CUB’s Stance? CUB believes that Ameren is trying to end net metering prematurely. We are working with the ICC to resolve the issue, and we will alert consumers when the commission has finished its review of Ameren’s calculations. What Does This Mean for Ameren solar customers? This change only applies to NEW customers from October 3rd until a rebate value is determined, or until the […]

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CUB releases new infographics, including COVID-19 alert

Celeste — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:28:33 +0000

Below is our gallery of new infographics, including an important update on utility consumer protections during the COVID-19 crisis. CUB thanks the Heising-Simons Foundation for a generous grant that helped us create this series of infographics about important consumer issues. Important utility customer protections during the COVID-19 Crisis Are you with an alternative electric supplier? Green Energy Suppliers Shopping for LEDs? Three things to know about the most popular energy efficient lighting choice. Real-Time Pricing

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CUB Q&A: FERC ruling takes Illinois a step closer to paying higher bills to support dirty energy

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:18:33 +0000

A new ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) brings Illinois one step closer to funding a fossil fuel bailout. And that increases the urgency to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), sweeping legislation that would protect consumers’ power bills while moving the state toward 100 percent renewable energy. On Thursday, Oct. 15, FERC issued the latest in a series of rulings that will revamp the rules for annual electric “capacity” auctions that have a significant impact on our electric bills. CUB warns that these changes will funnel more money to fossil fuel power generators, raise Illinois power bills, and undermine the state’s clean-energy and carbon-reduction goals. While many people probably have never heard of the electric capacity market, this is one of the most important issues ever to face Illinois energy customers. Watch our recent Facebook Live where CUB Executive Director David Kolata and Deputy Director Sarah Moskowitz talk about this issue, and read our Q&A below. What is capacity? Not only do you pay for the power you use now, but you also pay for power you could use in the future. Capacity refers to extra payments consumers give power plant operators for the commitment to have enough electricity available if demand suddenly spikes. (Think of a hot summer afternoon, when everyone blasts the AC.) The price for capacity for ComEd customers is determined through auctions run by PJM Interconnection, the power grid operator for northern Illinois and all or part of 12 other states and Washington, D.C.. (Ameren Illinois–the other major electric utility in the state–is in a market run by a different power grid operator.) How does capacity affect my bill? For most customers, capacity is not a separate line item on your power bills. The costs are embedded in the electricity supply charge. While actual electricity prices have been relatively low in recent years, capacity has become a bigger and bigger part of your bill and is now roughly 21 percent of the supply charge, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission. (By the way, alternative energy suppliers as well as ComEd participate in the capacity auctions. So you won’t escape capacity charges by changing suppliers.) CUB has long said that capacity market rules are stacked against consumers, causing us to pay higher bills for more capacity than we actually need. Earlier this year, an analysis showed that customers in PJM territory overpay by up to $4.4 billion a year for capacity. Closer to home, ComEd customers are paying $1.8 billion per year for power plants to be on call for just a few hours a year, and $1.2 billion of that is going to fossil fuel power plants, according to experts in the Clean Jobs Coalition. (That’s a group of 200 consumer advocates, including CUB, environmental groups and community/business leaders who want to pass CEJA.) Unfortunately, the new rule changes favored by fossil fuel generators and approved by FERC threaten to make the capacity market even worse. How did FERC change the rules to the capacity market? Last December, President Trump appointees at FERC changed the auction rules to artificially inflate the capacity […]

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Gov. Pritzker restarts discussions on clean energy legislation

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 22:31:35 +0000

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on Friday that he plans to restart “working group” discussions with the goal of passing strong clean energy legislation, possibly in the Fall Veto Session. As Crain’s Chicago Business reports, a working group—which includes consumer advocates, renewable power producers, environmental advocates, the utility industry and more—had deliberated beginning in July until it was suspended after ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine as part of an ethics scandal. Now, the working group will start meeting again. *The governor wants to focus the discussions on eight principles for a clean energy economy. Read the governor’s document, called “Putting Consumers and Climate First, here. The statement by the Clean Jobs Coalition, of which CUB is a member: “The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is pleased that Governor Pritzker has affirmed the urgency of passing bold climate legislation this fall that brings justice and investment to communities that have borne the worst of fossil fuel pollution. We look forward to working with the Governor on passing a bill that holds utilities accountable, ends automatic rate hikes, and creates thousands of clean energy jobs that help rebuild communities of color and leads a statewide economic recovery. We can do this together without raising electricity rates, hiking taxes, or giving Exelon or fossil fuels a bailout. Combating climate change can’t wait, building equity and economic recovery can’t wait, CEJA can’t wait.” CUB’s statement: “CUB is pleased that Gov. Pritzker has restarted the working groups to pass strong equitable, clean energy legislation that answers the urgency of climate change while protecting consumers. The governor has made it clear that he supports consumer priorities, including holding utilities accountable, ending automatic rate hikes, emphasizing energy efficiency and promoting transportation electrification. We also are pleased that the governor supports removing the unnecessary and expensive infrastructure surcharge from natural gas utility bills. This is our best opportunity in decades to pass strong clean energy legislation without raising power bills, increasing taxes or giving Exelon or fossil fuel companies a bailout. We can’t afford to wait to become a national leader on climate and consumer protections. We look forward to discussing all the alternatives so Illinois can find the cheapest, fastest way to achieve 100 percent clean energy in the state.”

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11 questions I asked when signing up for community solar

Jim Chilsen — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:25:20 +0000

By Cate York CUB Sustainable Communities Liaison Hello! My name is Cate, and I’m part of CUB’s outreach team. I spend a lot of my time talking with people about how to save money on their bills. That and googling Instant Pot recipes while binging murder podcasts. A few months ago, I stepped away from a Tuscan white bean soup to sign up for a community solar subscription. Here’s what I learned. 1. What is community solar? Let’s back up for a minute. Community solar allows residents and organizations to benefit from solar energy without installing panels on their properties. You can subscribe to a share of a community solar project somewhere in your utility service territory, and in return, receive credits on your electric bill. As a renter, that sounded pretty good to me. (Tip: CUB has a great resource on community solar: SolarInTheCommunity.com.) Illinois has been experiencing a solar boom because of state legislation from a few years ago called the Future Energy Jobs Act, or FEJA. FEJA created incentives for new wind and solar built in-state, so we now have two solar programs: Illinois Solar for All and Illinois Shines. Illinois Solar for All is a state-administered solar incentive program to support solar in low-income communities. There aren’t any upfront costs, and savings are guaranteed (participants only pay for half of the value of the bill credits they receive). For the community solar portion of the program, qualification is based on household income. Illinois Shines is a state-administered solar incentive program to support solar across the state, regardless of income. Unlike Illinois Solar for All, Illinois Shines’ community solar program allows upfront costs, and savings are not required, though many of the offers we’ve seen so far do guarantee savings. Both Illinois Solar for All and Illinois Shines also have rooftop solar sub-programs, so solar is more affordable than ever for homeowners. If I won enough online Texas hold ‘em games to somehow acquire a house, I would strongly consider buying panels within the next year, because there are federal and state incentives that are expiring. These incentives go to the solar system owner, so that’s one reason to explore financing through a solar loan, instead of a lease or Power Purchase Agreement. If you are thinking about signing up for community solar, consider it sooner than later. There is limited space available in these programs, and not enough funding to meet demand. (Check out CUB’s guide to the Clean Energy Jobs Act, proposed state legislation that would boost solar funding.) 2. Which projects are available to me? So far, as of July 2020, there have been 9 Illinois Solar for All community solar projects funded: 7 in Ameren Illinois territory, and 2 in ComEd territory. More projects will be funded over the next several years. I checked the income eligibility requirements for my county on the Illinois Solar for All website, and I don’t qualify, so that made the decision to sign up for Illinois Shines easy. (If I did qualify, I would choose Illinois Solar for All, because I would likely save more on that program.) […]

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