Not ‘One More Cent’: Chicago-Area Elected Officials Rally Against Peoples Gas Rate Hike
Officials say the utility’s request would raise average residential bills by $7 to $8 a month and worsen an affordability crisis.
- On Tuesday, 38 elected officials and advocates gathered at Chicago City Hall, urging the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject a $144 million rate hike request from Peoples Gas and reform the utility's Pipe Retirement Program.
- Lawmakers and consumer advocates decried the 10.1% shareholder profit as 'outrageous' and 'greedy,' particularly as roughly 162,000 residential customers are already behind on their utility bills, owing over $92 million to the company.
- Illinois Public Interest Research Group associate Levi Orgas claimed the pipeline program has been 'mismanaged,' citing data showing the project produces only one cent of benefit for every dollar spent.
- Peoples Gas spokesperson David Schwartz defended the requested profit rate, stating the utility must meet an ICC mandate to retire 1,000 miles of old iron pipes by 2035 while balancing affordability.
- State Senator Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago, argued safety cannot justify a program that 'repeatedly failed to deliver the results that Chicagoans were promised' ahead of the Illinois Commerce Commission's expected decision in December.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Officials: Proposed gas rate hike ‘unfair’ - Regional Media News
(The Center Square) - A Chicago-area utility company wants a hike for ratepayers that hinges on approval by the state, but local officials and state lawmakers say it's a move intended to increase profits at the expense of ratepayers. Peoples Gas delivers natural gas to [...]
Capitol Fa - Your Illinois News Radar » News coverage roundup: Chicago-area officials call on ICC to reject Peoples Gas rate hikeCapitolFax.com
* CBS Chicago… Chicago elected officials and other representatives from Illinois are pushing back on Peoples Gas’ proposed $144 million rate hike. A group of 38 alderpersons, state representatives, and state senators released a letter Tuesday, calling on the Illinois Commerce Commission to oppose the proposed hike, reject the utility’s request for a 10.1% profit rate, and [...]
Star Local
Officials: Proposed gas rate hike ‘unfair’
(The Center Square) – A Chicago-area utility company wants a hike for ratepayers that hinges on approval by the state, but local officials and state lawmakers say it's a move intended to increase profits at the expense of ratepayers.
Not ‘One More Cent’: Chicago-Area Elected Officials Rally Against Peoples Gas Rate Hike – Block Club Chicago
Five state senators, 15 state representatives and 18 Chicago City Council members signed the letter. “Spend smarter,” state Sen. Graciela Guzmán told Peoples Gas. “Prioritize the pipes that actually pose the greatest risk. Consider less-expensive alternatives where they can do the job safely. And stop asking working families to finance decades of unnecessary fossil fuel infrastructure.”
Shaw Local
Not ‘one more cent’: Chicago-area elected officials rally against Peoples Gas rate hike
From Capitol News Illinois: Dozens of state and local elected officials signed a letter asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject Peoples Gas’ $144 million rate hike request and to reform its long-embattled pipeline retirement program
Chicago-area elected officials rally against Peoples Gas rate hike
CHICAGO — Dozens of elected officials penned a letter Tuesday, Sept. 29, urging state regulators to reject Peoples Gas’ $144 million rate hike request and reform the company’s pipeline retirement program. Several officials joined utility watchdogs at a news conference at Chicago City Hall announcing the letter. “If a company is delivering a service to...
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
