98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB5633

 

Introduced , by Rep. Kelly Burke

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/Art. XX heading
220 ILCS 5/20-101
220 ILCS 5/20-102
220 ILCS 5/20-110
220 ILCS 5/20-125 new
220 ILCS 5/20-135 new

    Amends the Retail Electric Competition Article of the Public Utilities Act. Retitles the Article as the Consumer Retail Competition Act. Extends the scope of the Article to apply to natural gas markets. Makes a legislative finding that retail consumers of natural gas would benefit from market opening solutions and competitive choices. Directs the Office of Retail Market Development to promote retail competition for safe, reliable, and affordable natural gas service. Authorizes the Commerce Commission to establish retail choice and referral programs providing incentives for residential and small commercial customers to switch natural gas suppliers.


LRB098 18448 RPS 53585 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5633LRB098 18448 RPS 53585 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5the heading of Article XX and Sections 20-101, 20-102, and
620-110 and by adding Sections 20-125 and 20-135 as follows:
 
7    (220 ILCS 5/Art. XX heading)
8
ARTICLE XX. CONSUMER RETAIL ELECTRIC COMPETITION
9(Source: P.A. 94-1095, eff. 2-2-07.)
 
10    (220 ILCS 5/20-101)
11    Sec. 20-101. This Article may be cited as the Consumer
12Retail Electric Competition Act of 2006.
13(Source: P.A. 94-1095, eff. 2-2-07.)
 
14    (220 ILCS 5/20-102)
15    Sec. 20-102. Findings and intent.
16    (a) Competitive A competitive wholesale electricity and
17natural gas markets market alone will not deliver the full
18benefits of competition to Illinois consumers. For Illinois
19consumers to receive products, prices, and terms tailored to
20meet their needs, a competitive wholesale markets electricity
21market must be closely linked to a competitive retail electric

 

 

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1and competitive retail natural gas markets market.
2    (b) To date, as a result of the Electric Service Customer
3Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997, thousands of large Illinois
4commercial and industrial consumers have experienced the
5benefits of a competitive retail electricity market.
6Alternative electric retail suppliers actively compete to
7supply electricity to large Illinois commercial and industrial
8consumers with attractive prices, terms, and conditions.
9    (c) A competitive retail electric market does not yet exist
10for residential and small commercial consumers. As a result,
11millions of residential and small commercial consumers in
12Illinois are faced with escalating heating and power bills and
13are unable to shop for alternatives to the rates demanded by
14the State's incumbent electric utilities.
15    (d) The General Assembly reiterates its findings from the
16Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997
17that the Illinois Commerce Commission should promote the
18development of an effectively competitive retail electricity
19market that operates efficiently and benefits all Illinois
20consumers.
21    (e) The General Assembly also finds that consumers of
22retail natural gas would benefit from market opening solutions
23and competitive choices.
24(Source: P.A. 94-1095, eff. 2-2-07.)
 
25    (220 ILCS 5/20-110)

 

 

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1    Sec. 20-110. Office of Retail Market Development. Within 90
2days after February 2, 2007 (the effective date of Public Act
394-1095) this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly,
4subject to appropriation, the Commission shall establish an
5Office of Retail Market Development and employ on its staff a
6Director of Retail Market Development to oversee the Office.
7The Director shall have authority to employ or otherwise retain
8at least 2 professionals dedicated to the task of actively
9seeking out ways to promote retail competition in Illinois to
10benefit all Illinois consumers.
11    The Office shall actively seek input from all interested
12parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical
13analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote retail
14competition in other states.
15    The Office shall monitor existing competitive conditions
16in Illinois, identify barriers to retail competition for all
17customer classes, and actively explore and propose to the
18Commission and to the General Assembly solutions to overcome
19identified barriers. The Director may include municipal
20aggregation of customers and creating and designing customer
21choice programs as tools for retail market development.
22Solutions proposed by the Office to promote retail competition
23must also promote safe, reliable, and affordable electric and
24natural gas service.
25    On or before June 30 of each year, the Director shall
26submit a report to the Commission, the General Assembly, and

 

 

HB5633- 4 -LRB098 18448 RPS 53585 b

1the Governor, that details specific accomplishments achieved
2by the Office in the prior 12 months in promoting retail
3electric and retail natural gas competition and that suggests
4administrative and legislative action necessary to promote
5further improvements in retail electric competition.
6(Source: P.A. 94-1095, eff. 2-2-07.)
 
7    (220 ILCS 5/20-125 new)
8    Sec. 20-125. Residential and small commercial retail
9natural gas competition. Within 12 months after the effective
10date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the
11Director shall conduct research, gather input from all
12interested parties, and develop and present to the Commission,
13the General Assembly, and the Governor a detailed plan designed
14to promote, in the most expeditious manner possible, retail
15natural gas competition for residential and small commercial
16consumers while maintaining safe, reliable, and affordable
17service. Interested parties shall be given the opportunity to
18review the plan and provide written comments regarding the plan
19prior to its submission to the Commission, the General
20Assembly, and the Governor. Written comments received by the
21Office shall be posted on the Commission's web site. The final
22plan submitted to the Commission, the General Assembly, and the
23Governor must include summaries of any written comments and
24must also be posted on the Commission's web site.
25    To the extent the plan calls for Commission action, the

 

 

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1Commission shall initiate any proceeding or proceedings called
2for in the final plan within 60 days after receipt of the final
3plan and complete those proceedings within 11 months after
4their initiation.
5    Nothing in this Section shall prevent the Commission from
6acting earlier to remove identified barriers to retail natural
7gas competition for residential and small commercial
8consumers.
 
9    (220 ILCS 5/20-135 new)
10    Sec. 20-135. Retail choice and referral programs for
11natural gas consumers. The Commission shall have the authority
12to establish retail choice and referral programs to be
13administered by a natural gas utility or the State in which
14residential and small commercial customers receive incentives,
15including, but not limited to, discounted rate introductory
16offers for switching to participating natural gas suppliers.
17    The Office of Retail Market Development shall serve as the
18clearinghouse for the development of retail choice programs and
19shall work with natural gas utilities and interested parties on
20a continuous basis to implement and improve upon the programs.
21Nothing in this Section shall prevent a natural gas utility
22from implementing retail choice programs on its own accord.
23    Nothing in this Section shall prevent the Office of Retail
24Market Development or the Commission from considering retail
25choice programs.