CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz this year spoke on a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) panel about the importance of pro-consumer energy policy.
By Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board
Below is my year-in-review for 2024–the Citizens Utility Board’s 40th anniversary. As I write this, there are several rate-hike battles that are up in the air before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), so my report will be updated in the weeks ahead.
But this is a good snapshot of how hard the CUB team (pictured at the bottom of this article) is working for you and all Illinois consumers. I’m proud of the great work by CUB’s staff–thank you, team! And I’m grateful for your generous support–through donations, by signing petitions, by showing interest in our emails. Our accomplishments are your accomplishments, and together we are making a difference for people across Illinois. On behalf of the CUB team, a warm, heartfelt thanks for your support.
Check out my interview on a Fox Good Day Chicago and in the Chicago-Sun-Times about CUB’s 40th anniversary.
Annie, Danielle and Sandra from the Consumer Advocacy Department, and Jan, from the Operations, Staff Department.
Consumer Advocacy Department–Director Sandra Marcelin-Reme
CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (Annie, Danielle and Sandra) has handled more than 1,500 consumer inquiries, saving individual utility customers a total of $35,888 in 2024.
Your support at work: Annie, CUB’s Bilingual Consumer Rights Specialist, took on the case of a small-business owner who had suffered since 2020 under a bad deal with an alternative electricity supplier. Annie helped secure a $23,288.76 refund for the customer.
“OMG! I am very happy with the outcome of this case,” Annie wrote in an email to the staff.
Ivonne met legendary WGN Meteorologist and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Tom Skilling at the Climate Action Awards.
Outreach Department–Director Ivonne Rychwa
The Outreach Department (Grace, Ivonne, Karen, Marina, Matt, Scott and Zoe) has staffed about 230 free events this year, giving more than 5,000 consumers across the state of Illinois money-saving tips on energy efficiency, solar power, reducing TV costs, avoiding robocall scams and how to spot electric and gas rip-offs on utility bills. The team was proud to be nominated for a Climate Action Hero Award in 2024, for its work in the community educating people how on how clean energy can cut utility bills.
In 2024, we again promoted a solar group-buy program that secures deep discounts on solar panels and helps people cut their electric bills by hundreds of dollars. “Starting in April my ComEd bill has been ZERO,” one past participant wrote to CUB. “Keep up the great work.”
Your support at work: At one of our popular utility bill clinics, we helped Dan exit a horrible electric deal that charged him triple what he should have been paying. “You helped me save money,” he said. “Keep up the good work.”
Click the image to hear Sarah speak at a public forum.
Legal Department–General Counsel Eric DeBellis
Over the last two years, CUB’s two-person legal team (Eric and Laura) has challenged a record number of rate hikes representing billions of dollars in higher rates proposed by Ameren Illinois, Aqua Illinois, ComEd, Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas.
Your support at work: In testimony before the ICC in 2024, CUB argued for cutting the utility rate hikes by a total of $246 million: $7.6 million in reductions; Illinois American Water, $48.5 million; ComEd, $89.3 million; Ameren Illinois, $101 million. At press time, the ICC had not ruled on these cases. The ICC on Nov. 21, reduced Aqua’s rate hike by about 43 percent, granting it an $11.6 million increase.
At a public forum held by regulators, a water utility executive patronizingly downplayed her company’s nearly $30 a month rate-hike request by describing it as “less than a dollar day.” I was at the forum and couldn’t resist responding: “I’m sorry, ‘a dollar a day’ doesn’t make it sound any better…That level of increase is unprecedented.” (Watch our video about the public forums on water rate hikes proposed by Aqua and Illinois American.)
Bryan advocated for justice for water customers, along with a bipartisan group of legislators, from left to right: state Rep. Nabeela Syed, state Sen. Rachel Ventura, State Rep. Dagmara Avelar and state Sen. Sue Rezin.
Policy Department–Director of Governmental Affairs Bryan McDaniel
CUB made national headlines for our ongoing campaign, with AARP Illinois, to pass the Utility Affordability Act, which would bar utilities from charging us for a long list of ridiculous spending that increases their power and influence–like fees for outside attorneys who help win utility rate hikes and advertising that props up their image. CUB also was proud to stand with a bipartisan group of legislators to push for passage of the Water Affordability & Accountability Act, which would implement a number of reforms to lower private water bills. (Watch a recording of the news conference.)
Your support at work: It’s an uphill battle, but our work at the General Assembly is gaining support. Writing about CUB’s advocacy of the Utility Affordability Act, the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board wrote: “The Legislature has a chance to inject some common sense into utility bills. It should do so.” About our work on water reforms, the Sun-Times wrote: “People should not struggle to pay their water bills even as private companies make big profits. Illinois should close the spigot on excessive costs.”
Karen, center, took this selfie of the Outreach team. She splits her time staffing events for Outreach and also creating publications, social media posts and e-newsletters to educate Spanish-speaking consumers on how to cut their utility bills.
Communications Department–Director Jim Chilsen
The Communications team (Elizabeth, Jim and Karen) this year worked tirelessly to produce publications, e-newsletters and social media posts in both Spanish and English to educate people about utility issues and fire them up about the latest utility money-grabs. The team sparked front-page attention in the Chicago Sun-Times for a report that showed local gas-bill charges could double if regulators don’t rein in the gas utility, and in the Chicago Tribune for a story on how ComEd was unfairly attempting to make customers pay millions for its botched billing upgrade.
Clara, left, advocating for consumers at the PJM Annual Meeting.
Consumers for a Better Grid Campaign–Manager Clara Summers
As manager of the Consumers for A Better Grid campaign, Clara worked all year to advocate for Illinois consumers at PJM Interconnection, the world’s largest power grid operator. Many people have not heard of PJM, but it covers 65 million customers in northern Illinois and all or parts of a dozen other states, and its poor policy decisions have a major impact on how affordable, reliable and clean our power is.
Your support at work: In a strong step forward for affordable, reliable and clean energy, a committee at PJM in July voted overwhelmingly for a CUB proposal to begin a discussion on how to design and evaluate cost-effective alternatives to running expensive, polluting power plants past their desired close date. “There’s a lot of work to do, but today’s vote by PJM’s Markets & Reliability Committee is a strong step forward for cleaner, affordable and reliable power,” CUB said in a statement. CUB also represented Illinois consumers in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in seven separate cases.
Jan, the kind voice you often hear when you call CUB.
Operations Department–Staff, Operations Director Sandra Marcelin-Reme
These staffers are the often-unsung heroes of CUB, because they ensure our daily operations run smoothly. Cyrius, Director of IT, handles CUB’s technical needs: network, website, hardware, software, phone system. And he patiently answers computer questions from staffers. Membership Coordinator Jan is the kind voice you hear when calling CUB. She also manages donations and answers member questions. Thank you, operations team, for making CUB’s consumer advocacy possible!
The CUB team thanks all Illinois consumers for their generous support of the work for clean energy, consumer protections and lower utility bills. We’re grateful!
From top left to right, Annie Warnock, Consumer Rights Specialist-Bilingual; Bryan McDaniel, Director of Governmental Affairs; Clara Summers, Consumers for a Better Grid Campaign Manager; Cyrius Currie, Director of IT; Danielle Holmes, Consumer Rights Specialist; Elizabeth Brandon, Digital Communications Manager; Eric DeBellis, General Counsel; Ivonne Rychwa, Outreach Director; Jantay Gray, Membership Coordinator; Jim Chilsen, Communications Director; Zoe Huspen, Carbon Free Buildings Coordinator; Karen Tolentino, Outreach and Communications Coordinator–CUB Español; Grace Concialdi, Outreach Programs Coordinator; Laura Loyd, Regulatory Counsel; Marina Minic, Solar Programs Administrator; Matt Harvey, Program Manager; Sandra Marcelin-Remé, Staff, Operations and Consumer Advocacy Director; Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director; Scott Allen, Energy Policy Specialist
