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| Public Act 094-1095 |
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AN ACT concerning public utilities.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding | ||||
Article XX as follows: | ||||
(220 ILCS 5/Art. XX heading new) | ||||
ARTICLE XX. RETAIL ELECTRIC COMPETITION | ||||
(220 ILCS 5/20-101 new) | ||||
Sec. 20-101. This Article may be cited as the Retail | ||||
Electric Competition Act of 2006. | ||||
(220 ILCS 5/20-102 new) | ||||
Sec. 20-102. Findings and intent.
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(a) A competitive wholesale electricity market alone will | ||||
not deliver the full benefits of competition to Illinois | ||||
consumers. For Illinois consumers to receive products, prices | ||||
and terms tailored to meet their needs, a competitive wholesale | ||||
electricity market must be closely linked to a competitive | ||||
retail electric market. | ||||
(b) To date, as a result of the Electric Service Customer | ||||
Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997, thousands of large Illinois | ||||
commercial and industrial consumers have experienced the | ||||
benefits of a competitive retail electricity market. | ||||
Alternative electric retail suppliers actively compete to | ||||
supply electricity to large Illinois commercial and industrial | ||||
consumers with attractive prices, terms, and conditions. | ||||
(c) A competitive retail electric market does not yet exist | ||||
for residential and small commercial consumers. As a result, | ||||
millions of residential and small commercial consumers in | ||||
Illinois are faced with escalating heating and power bills and | ||||
are unable to shop for alternatives to the rates demanded by | ||||
the State's incumbent electric utilities. | ||
(d) The General Assembly reiterates its findings from the | ||
Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 | ||
that the Illinois Commerce Commission should promote the | ||
development of an effectively competitive retail electricity | ||
market that operates efficiently and benefits all Illinois | ||
consumers. | ||
(220 ILCS 5/20-105 new)
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Sec. 20-105. Definitions. In this Article: | ||
"Director" means the Director of the Office of Retail | ||
Market Development. | ||
"Office" means the Office of Retail Market | ||
Development. | ||
(220 ILCS 5/20-110 new) | ||
Sec. 20-110. Office of Retail Market Development. Within 90 | ||
days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the | ||
94th General Assembly, subject to appropriation, the | ||
Commission shall establish an Office of Retail Market | ||
Development and employ on its staff a Director of Retail Market | ||
Development to oversee the Office. The Director shall have | ||
authority to employ or otherwise retain at least 2 | ||
professionals dedicated to the task of actively seeking out | ||
ways to promote retail competition in Illinois to benefit all | ||
Illinois consumers. | ||
The Office shall actively seek input from all interested | ||
parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical | ||
analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote retail | ||
competition in other states. | ||
The Office shall monitor existing competitive conditions | ||
in Illinois, identify barriers to retail competition for all | ||
customer classes, and actively explore and propose to the | ||
Commission and to the General Assembly solutions to overcome | ||
identified barriers. The Director may include municipal | ||
aggregation of customers and creating and designing customer | ||
choice programs as tools for retail market development. | ||
Solutions proposed by the Office to promote retail competition | ||
must also promote safe, reliable, and affordable electric | ||
service. | ||
On or before June 30 of each year, the Director shall | ||
submit a report to the Commission, the General Assembly, and | ||
the Governor, that details specific accomplishments achieved | ||
by the Office in the prior 12 months in promoting retail | ||
electric competition and that suggests administrative and | ||
legislative action necessary to promote further improvements | ||
in retail electric competition. | ||
(220 ILCS 5/20-120 new) | ||
Sec. 20-120. Residential and small commercial retail | ||
electric competition. Within 12 months after the effective date | ||
of this amendatory Act of the 94th 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 | ||
electric competition for residential and small commercial | ||
electricity consumers while maintaining safe, reliable, and | ||
affordable service. 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 web | ||
site. 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 | ||
web site. | ||
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 electric | ||
competition for residential and small commercial consumers.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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