HB2427eng 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2427 Engrossed LRB098 09433 JLS 39574 b

AN ACT concerning public utilities.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding Section 20-125 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/20-125 new)

Sec. 20-125. Residential and small commercial retail natural gas competition. Within 12 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the Director shall conduct research, gather input from all interested parties, and develop and present to the Commission, the General Assembly, and the Governor a detailed plan designed to promote, in the most expeditious manner possible, retail natural gas competition for residential and small commercial natural gas consumers while maintaining safe, reliable, and affordable service. The plan shall include an analysis of the municipal aggregation of electric consumers, its impact on savings to consumers, any suggested improvements, and how a municipal aggregation program could assist natural gas consumers.

Interested parties shall be given the opportunity to review the plan and provide written comments regarding the plan prior to its submission to the Commission, the General Assembly, and the Governor. Any written comments received by the Office shall be posted on the Commission's website. The final plan submitted to the Commission, the General Assembly, and the Governor must include summaries of any written comments and must also be posted on the Commission's website.

To the extent the plan calls for Commission action, the Commission shall initiate any proceeding or proceedings called for in the final plan within 60 days after receipt of the final plan and complete those proceedings within 11 months after their initiation.

Nothing in this Section shall prevent the Commission from acting earlier to remove identified barriers to retail natural gas competition for residential and small commercial consumers.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.