This month, Illinois consumers got good news: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to review appellate court decisions that upheld the right for states to advance clean energy goals through “zero-emission credit” (ZEC) programs in Illinois and New York. On Twitter, CUB called it an “important victory for cost-effective…...
Fake news? Not to customers paying high Peoples Gas bills
In a recent earnings call, Gale Klappa, the CEO of WEC Energy Group (the parent of Peoples Gas), tried to dodge ongoing reports by Crain’s Chicago Business that the utility’s pipeline-replacement program is mismanaged, over-budget and on the verge of sparking a heating-affordability crisis in Chicago. “I hate to use…...
CUB honored by generous donation in memory of Chris Conrad
Illinois man remembered as kind-hearted seeker of knowledge As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) celebrates its 35th anniversary, we are honored to receive a generous memorial gift from the family of an Illinois man, Chris Conrad, who had a lifelong passion for shining a light on inequity and injustice. The…...
CUB honored by gift in memory of Chris Conrad
Illinois man remembered as kind-hearted seeker of knowledge As the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) celebrates its 35th anniversary, we are honored to receive a generous gift from the Chris Conrad Memorial Light-the-Way Fund. The $20,000 gift honors Chris Conrad’s lifelong passion for shining a light on inequity and injustice. We…...
Working for a clean energy future as easy as 1-2-3
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) staffs more than 400 free events a year—which means just about every day the consumer group is somewhere in Illinois spreading an important message: clean energy = affordable energy. Jim’s a believer. He’s a frequent visitor to CUB events and recently dropped by our utility-bill…...
‘Like magic’: Consumer Advocacy Department captures $108,000+ in savings
Each year, thousands of Illinois consumers contact CUB’s Consumer Advocacy Department (CAD), to ask a question or file a complaint about an electric, gas, or telecom/cable company behaving badly. In 2018 alone, the department saved people more than $108,000, including: • $62,082.76, for an apartment building that was the victim of…...
Q&A on the Capacity Battle
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, CUB filed comments before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), protesting a proposal favored by out-of-state fossil-fuel generators that could undermine Illinois energy policy and send ComEd bills skyrocketing. Specifically, the generators want to change the rules governing a special electricity market—called a “capacity market”—that covers…...
The heating-affordability crisis
By Bryan McDaniel CUB’s Director of Governmental Affairs CUB has been working with other consumer advocates to reform the Peoples Gas pipeline-replacement program–the utility’s mismanaged project that threatens to spark what Crain’s Chicago Business called a “heating-affordability crisis.” Last week I came face-to-face with the heating-affordability crisis. I met with…...
