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Utility watchdog

Standing up to utilities and for consumers for 50 years.

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ComEd’s $650 million power play

Utility watchdog

ComEd’s $650 million power play

As documented in our December, 2020 report, Guaranteed Profits, Broken Promises, ComEd built an unparalleled political influence operation to pass the 2011 Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act (EIMA), the law creating automatic “formula” rate hikes. Once built, ComEd continued to use its influence operation to win further windfalls for ComEd and Exelon. One of the best examples was when it returned to the Illinois General Assembly for more profits through a 2013 EIMA trailer bill. In our report, we calculated that this power play resulted in at least $400 million in additional profits for ComEd since the trailer bill passed in 2013, all paid for by ComEd’s customers. With new and additional analysis, we are updating our calculation to over $650 million.

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As its failing pipe replacement program puts Chicagoans in debt, Peoples Gas on track for record profits

Utility watchdog

As its failing pipe replacement program puts Chicagoans in debt, Peoples Gas on track for record profits

The Peoples Gas pipe replacement program once again ended the year behind schedule and over budget according to a year-end report released Monday. Peoples Gas charged its residential customers nearly $157, on average, for the program in 2021. That has contributed to widespread home heating affordability challenges in Chicago. Despite this, Peoples Gas is on track to make record profits in 2021, surpassing the previous record set in 2020.

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With home heating bills on the rise, new reports show harms of botched Peoples Gas pipe replacement program

Utility watchdog

With home heating bills on the rise, new reports show harms of botched Peoples Gas pipe replacement program

With colder weather imminent and rising gas commodity prices predicted to increase Chicago gas utility bills by 35% this winter, two new reports demonstrate that Chicago is facing a home heating affordability crisis, driven by the mismanaged, misdirected Peoples Gas pipe replacement program. 

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Average Peoples Gas customer paying more than $13 per month for mismanaged pipe replacement program

Utility watchdog

Average Peoples Gas customer paying more than $13 per month for mismanaged pipe replacement program

Peoples Gas released a second quarter report Friday on its troubled pipe replacement program. The report shows that the average Peoples Gas customer paid a $13.14 monthly surcharge for the program over the past quarter -- more than eleven times the $1.14 per month the legislature was told customers would pay when it passed a law authorizing the surcharge in 2013. In June, the surcharge accounted for 17 percent of the average customer’s bill, almost as much as the cost of the gas itself.  

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