ICC chief Flores unlikely to keep job in upcoming vote
By Steve Daniels, Crain's Chicago Business
February 24, 2011 — A long-simmering standoff between Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois Senate over the nomination of Illinois Commerce Commission Acting Chairman Manuel Flores is coming to a head, with signs pointing to Mr. Flores' imminent departure.

Read the full version of the story on Crain's website.
The Senate Executive Committee has scheduled a vote for Tuesday on Mr. Flores, who’s been acting as head of the state’s utility regulatory body for over a year but hasn’t been confirmed. People familiar with the matter said Senate President John Cullerton privately has told the governor’s office in recent months that the votes aren’t there to confirm Mr. Flores, a former Chicago alderman who has run into a buzzsaw of opposition from some members of the state Senate’s Latino caucus and from utilities who see him as opposed to their interests.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Cullerton referred questions about the nomination to Sen. Willie Delgado, D-Chicago, in whose district Mr. Flores lives.

Sen. Delgado is vice-chairman of the committee and an ardent opponent of Mr. Flores due to a long-standing feud over their differing political allegiances within the Hispanic community. In an interview, he predicted Mr. Flores will be voted down in committee if the governor doesn't withdraw the nomination.

“I'd rather this gentleman move on,” Mr. Delgado said Thursday. “I think the governor is setting him up for an embarrassing situation next week.”

Sources said Mr. Quinn's office has been working to find another state job for Mr. Flores, who's been reluctant so far to relinquish the ICC post. It was unclear whether those discussions would quickly resume now that the state Senate is bringing matters to a conclusion.

Mr. Flores declined through a representative to comment. A spokesman for Gov. Quinn wasn't immediately available to comment.

Mr. Flores' likely departure as ICC chairman is a victory for utilities. Ameren Corp., in particular, has expressed concern about Mr. Flores' record as acting chairman, stemming in large part from an ICC decision last year to grant the Downstate electric and gas provider only a small fraction of an electricity rate hike it requested.

Before becoming governor, Mr. Quinn built his reputation as an anti-utility crusader for consumers, co-founding the watchdog group Citizens Utility Board in the 1980s. Mr. Flores was seen as a nominee in keeping with Mr. Quinn's pro-consumer bent.

But Mr. Flores didn't help his cause with Sen. Delgado when Mr. Flores publicly floated his name late last year as a potential candidate for mayor after Richard M. Daley announced his plans to retire. Mr. Flores quickly withdrew his name from consideration, but that fueled Mr. Delgado's criticisms that Mr. Flores was a political opportunist.

A void at the top of the ICC comes at an important time. Commonwealth Edison is seeking a $326-million rate hike, which the ICC will rule on in May. Peoples Gas and Ameren recently filed for rate hikes, which will have to be voted on early next year.

And the ICC this year must approve suburban gas utility Nicor Inc.'s sale to Atlanta-based AGL Resources Inc., ruling on issues like whether to ask AGL to give Nicor ratepayers part of the benefit of any cost cuts as a result of the acquisition.

With a commission closely divided between members who tend to favor utilities and those who tend to back consumers, the point of view of the new chairman will be crucial to how it handles future utility rate cases.