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What are the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Future of Gas Proceedings?

In 2023, four gas utilities–Ameren Illinois, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas–pushed for rate hikes before  the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Environmental and consumer advocates who challenged the rate increases also requested that the ICC order a process to study how Illinois will manage its shift away from gas use in buildings.  The ICC’s Final Order initiated a series of public workshops to “explore issues tied to decarbonization of the gas system…”

Phase One kicked off a seven-meeting series in the spring of 2024. The purpose of Phase One was to determine the scope of the issues to be studied. During this phase, participants were asked to suggest topics to be studied in Phase Two.  

At the invitation of the facilitator, presentations were given by various stakeholders, each laying out justification for whatever concerns they had relating to the future of gas. At the end of Phase One, the facilitator drafted a report summarizing the entire process, and listing the 12 topics and dozens of subtopics related to the methane gas distribution system identified during the Phase One workshops.

Phase Two kicked off on Aug. 28. It will consist of three “subphases”: A, expected to continue until February 2025, will be a continuation of Phase One to get a better understanding of the pathways to decarbonization and the technology that will aid it. In B, expected to be held from March to June 2025, working groups will study feasibility, economic impacts and implementation. Subphase C, scheduled for July to October 2025, will focus on legislative and regulatory solutions.

At the end of these proceedings, the facilitator, along with ICC staff, will draft a final report, summarizing, categorizing, linking and compiling all of the findings from each phase and subphase. We expect this report to make recommendations to lawmakers and relevant regulatory agencies.  It’s safe to say that lawmakers will lean heavily on this report to inform their decisions on legislation concerning the long-term transition to cleaner and more affordable heat for buildings. It’s a big deal that the contents of this report will be determined by Future of Gas participants–and that’s why CUB is involved.

Stay tuned for more updates from CUB’s ICC Future of Gas series at www.citizensutilityboard.org/FOG.

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