1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="lKxHHbCTPw"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/01/21/casework-roundup-enough-gas-utility-pushes-for-record-rate-hike/">Casework Roundup: Enough! Gas utility pushes for record rate hike</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2025/01/21/casework-roundup-enough-gas-utility-pushes-for-record-rate-hike/embed/#?secret=lKxHHbCTPw" width="600" height="338" title="“Casework Roundup: Enough! Gas utility pushes for record rate hike” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="lKxHHbCTPw" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> The ink was barely dry on rate hikes granted electric and water utilities in 2024 when Nicor Gas and Ameren Illinois proposed new gas increases for 2025—including one that would be the largest gas increase in Illinois history. Also, Peoples Gas has filed papers with state regulators indicating it might push for a rate hike. We’ll update you if they officially file for an increase. Here’s a summary of news at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC): Nicor: In January, Nicor requested a $309 million increase–what would be the largest gas hike in Illinois history. Nicor has received four rate hikes—totaling $724 million—since 2018. This new request would jack up delivery rates by more than 20%. CUB’s reaction: “Nicor’s push for a ridiculous 10.35% Return on Equity (ROE), or profit rate for shareholders, exposes this rate-hike request for what it is: A money-grab meant to benefit shareholders to the detriment of customers who just want to keep their homes warm.” Ameren: Ameren also filed for a gas rate hike. At press time, the utility hadn’t revealed the full amount of its request, but said it would increase delivery rates by 20-28%. Ameren has won $111 million in gas hikes over the last few years: $76 million in 2021 and $35.2 million in 2023. CUB’s reaction: “This increase would be a hardship for many Ameren customers. We urge the ICC to reduce the utility’s wasteful spending and hold it accountable to its customers.” Illinois American, Aqua (water): On Nov. 21, the ICC OK’d an $11.6 million rate hike for Aqua Illinois, about 40% less than what the utility had wanted. On Dec. 5, the ICC approved a $110 million rate hike for Illinois American Water, about 28% less than what the company had originally requested. In total, the two increases were cut by about $50 million. CUB’s reaction: “We are relieved Illinois American and Aqua didn’t get the rate hikes they wanted, but we are still concerned about the increases. The ICC’s rulings give new urgency to CUB’s push to reform privatization laws that water utilities use to plunder their customers.” ComEd, Ameren (electric): On Dec. 19, the ICC OK’d multi-year rate hikes for Commonwealth Edison and Ameren. CUB and other consumer advocates secured a total of about $1.8 billion in savings for electricity customers, but the utilities still won rate hikes: $606 million for ComEd, adding to the $500 million it got in 2023; and $309 million for Ameren, adding to the $56 million it received in 2023. These hikes will be spread out over four years through 2027, to cover costs to maintain/improve the power grid, plus a profit. CUB’s reaction: “It’s a step in the right direction that the ICC has cut wasteful spending by hundreds of millions of dollars, reduced the utilities’ proposed rate hikes by a total of about $95 million and held their profit rate for shareholders to about 8.9% for ComEd and 8.7%, for Ameren, down from the ridiculous 10.5-10.65% the utilities had proposed in their first grid plans. But an increase of any kind is difficult to bear for far too many customers. We […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ICC-Building.jpg18521042