North Shore Gas’ proposed $14.4 million rate hike includes padded profit margins, excessive executive bonuses and overstated cost estimates and should be cut by about 55 percent, at least, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Thursday. (Read CUB’s news release.) CUB has filed expert testimony with the Illinois Commerce Commission…...
CUB’s money-saving events in August
CUB’s Outreach team travels across the state to staff free events giving consumers energy efficiency tips for their home, educating them on how clean energy can cut their utility bills and helping people protect themselves from scams and rip-offs. Summer is in full swing, and CUB can help you learn…...
Will Illinois meet the moment to rein in data centers and save us from skyrocketing power bills?
By Sarah Moskowitz Executive Director Citizens Utility Board (CUB) (Note: A version of this opinion piece appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business on July 27, 2026.) This summer millions of Illinois consumers are paying power prices that are about 40-50 percent higher than what they were just two years ago, and…...
CUB Q&A: Battery + electricity supply offers in Illinois
Interested in installing battery storage at your home? There’s a new type of offer in ComEd territory that aims to make backup home batteries more affordable by bundling them with an alternative retail electric supply (ARES) plan. Right now, there are two companies offering this to Illinois homeowners: Base Power…...
CUB’s 2026 rate-hike battles: Utilities push for $880 million+ in higher rates
In a year when we’re already paying elevated electricity prices, Illinois’ biggest utilities are piling on by pushing for more than $880 million in new rate hikes before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The parent companies of these utilities raked in about $15 billion in total profits in 2025, and…...
CUB: Sustained High PJM Capacity Prices Ramp Up Urgency For Data Center Reform
Latest PJM auction results let Big Tech off the hook, while everyday customers suffer years-long bill spike We have now seen four straight capacity auctions with painfully high prices because policymakers at every level are letting Big Tech–some of the world’s wealthiest corporations–off the hook. Across the PJM region, continued…...
CUB Urges Illinois American customers to Attend ICC forum on rate hike
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) on Tuesday urged Illinois American Water customers to speak out against the utility’s push for a $142 million rate hike at a public forum organized by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The forum is: 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, July 14 Bolingbrook Community Center, Room A 201…...
CUB statement on Aqua Illinois’ proposed $26.5 million rate hike
Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz released a statement Monday about Aqua Illinois’ $26.5 million rate-hike request before the Illinois Commerce Commission: At a time when Illinois consumers are already burdened with rising costs for all utilities, Aqua Illinois’ proposed rate hike would increase bills by an average…...
