The Illinois Citizens Utility Board (CUB), a non-profit statewide utility watchdog organization created by the state legislature, told state regulators Thursday to throw out the $14 million base gas rate increase proposed by Ameren/CILCO, which serves about 250,000 gas customers in the state. CUB said a financial analyst it commissioned and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office determined that the utility overstated its expenses by $11 million in order to justify the rate increase.
Citizens
Articles from Citizens
CUB Pleads for Utility Guidelines to Minimize Impact of Gas Price Spikes
Soaring gas prices in two of the last three winters have prompted the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) in Illinois to call for state regulatory action to encourage the state’s utilities to improve their risk management practices.
CUB Pleads for Utility Guidelines to Minimize Impact of Gas Price Spikes
Soaring gas prices in two of the last three winters have prompted the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) in Illinois to call for state regulatory action to encourage the state’s utilities to improve their risk management practices.
Utility Watchdog Claims Nicor Gas Lied; Seeks $27M Fine
The Illinois Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said it believes that Nicor Gas should be fined $27 million for “lying” to state regulators in an alleged effort to hide a complicated scheme that used improper accounting procedures to defraud Illinois consumers at a time when customers were paying record high gas prices. The move comes as the latest shot fired in the ongoing feud between the utility watchdog group and the Naperville, IL-based utility.
Utility Watchdog Claims Nicor Gas Lied; Seeks $27M Fine
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said it believes that Nicor Gas should be fined $27 million for “lying” to state regulators in an alleged effort to hide a complicated scheme that used improper accounting procedures to defraud Illinois consumers at a time when customers were paying record high gas prices. The move comes as the latest shot fired in the ongoing feud between the utility watchdog group and the Naperville, IL-based utility.
Nicor Charged with Deceptive Marketing; ICC Investigates
Illinois’ statewide nonprofit utility watchdog, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), on Wednesday filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Nicor Gas and an unregulated sister company, Nicor Services, of deceptively marketing its “Fixed Bill” plan, which the lawsuit claims has caused some of Illinois consumers’ natural gas bills to more than double. CUB first made the charges of deceptive practices against the Naperville, IL-based company in April (see Daily GPI, April 12).
Nicor Charged with Deceptive Marketing; ICC Investigates
Illinois’ statewide nonprofit utility watchdog, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), on Wednesday filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Nicor Gas and an unregulated sister company, Nicor Services, of deceptively marketing its “Fixed Bill” plan, which the lawsuit claims has caused some of Illinois consumers’ natural gas bills to more than double. CUB first made the charges of deceptive practices against the Naperville, IL-based company in April (see Daily GPI, April 12).
ICC Asked to Remove Santanna Energy from Nicor Gas Choice Program
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said that it has filed a complaint against Santanna Energy Services, asking the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to pull the natural gas supplier from the Nicor Gas “Customer Select” program unless it stops illegal marketing and billing practices. The complaint also requests that the ICC order refunds or credits for customers who weren’t told they would be charged for gas they didn’t use, causing their gas bills to skyrocket. Santanna fired back that it has been “wrongfully and publicly” accused.
CAPP and SEPAC to Create Independent Canadian Energy Center
In an effort to keep the country’s citizens informed on the latest happenings in the industry, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) said that it has teamed with the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (SEPAC) to create a new, independent center of knowledge about the Canadian oil and gas industry.
INGAA Recommends Military Assistance for Pipe Security
With the growing threat of additional terrorists attacks on U.S. citizens and infrastructure, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) told Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in a letter last week that it believes the federal government should be prepared to commit military troops and equipment to protect the nation’s critical natural gas pipeline facilities.