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municipal aggregation

ICC stats: IL consumers have lost $1.6B with alternative suppliers since 2015, but Ameren customers saved last year

Illinois consumers have lost about $1.6 billion total to alternative suppliers since 2015–but Ameren customers, for a change, saw some savings last year, according to a review of annual reports from the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD).  Under Illinois law, ComEd, Ameren and MidAmerican customers are…...

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CUB review: Most municipal aggregation offers saving money, but changes on horizon

Out of 485 active community power (“municipal aggregation”) offers, about 300 (62 percent) beat or at least matched the utilities’ summer supply rates, according to a CUB review of plans. But more than half (183) of those offers expire over the next year–many of them this December.  This comparison covers…...

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CUB Q&A: Peoria’s Power Deal

Ameren Illinois is the electric utility that serves Central and Southern Illinois. But while Ameren will always deliver the power to your home over its wires, under state law you can choose an alternative company to supply you with electricity. (That means a company other than Ameren will purchase electricity…...

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Considering community solar? Follow these shopping tips

Community solar is an exciting program for Illinois consumers who are interested in enjoying the financial benefits of going solar without having to install panels. But you have to do your homework to make the best choice for your home.  Compared with volatile fossil fuel prices, solar energy can be…...

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CUB analysis: Community power deal could offer slight savings

As of July 31, 359 of 553 total active municipal aggregation deals in Illinois offer a price lower than the utility — ComEd or Ameren Illinois — according to CUB’s analysis of the Illinois Commerce Commission’s data on community power deals. Compared to last year, this is good news for…...

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CUB review: Many community power deals no longer money savers

There was a time when municipal aggregation–electricity deals that local leaders negotiate for residents of a community–secured savings for consumers, but a new CUB review has found that most deals are no longer beating the utility rate. As of July 31, just 78 of the 555 total active municipal aggregation deals in…...

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He told the alternative supplier: I know the mayor doesn’t endorse your offer—because I am the mayor!

Crest Hill Mayor Raymond Soliman doesn’t need to be warned about misleading door-to-door pitches by alternative electric suppliers. A salesman once lied to him in his own front yard—and it was a doozy. At a recent utility bill clinic in Crest Hill, he shared the story with Lead Service Liaison…...

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Checklist: What Everyone Should Know About Municipal Aggregation

What price is the supplier offering and how does it compare with the utility’s price? While it is a basic question, it is the key question for consumers: Will I save money with municipal aggregation? Ask community leaders to be clear about the price being offered and match it up…...

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Does your community have a power deal?

Illinois law allows municipalities and counties to purchase electricity on behalf of residential and small-business utility customers living within their borders. This is called municipal aggregation. This is a list of about 600 community power deals in Illinois, according to PlugInIllinois.0rg, the state of Illinois’ electricity choice website. (Communities are…...

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Special Report: 100+ Northern IL community power deals more expensive than ComEd

CUB told CBS 2 Chicago that more than 100 community power deals in Northern Illinois are charging a higher price than ComEd. It’s another sign of how much Illinois’ electricity market has changed in just a few years, and, as CBS 2 reported, it’s a good reason to look at…...

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