OIL-POWER COLLUSION?

Illinois AG opposes ComEd automatic rate hikes
By Julie Wernau
February 11, 2011 [AD] Attorney General Lisa Madigan said today that she is “strenuously opposed” to state legislation introduced this week that would determine utility rates by formula, joining a strong opposition group that includes AARP Illinois, Citizens Utility Board and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

"We have some serious concerns about the proposal in its current form and are strenuously opposed to it. It will seriously harm consumers. We expect this to be a hard fought issue,” Madigan’s office said in a statement....

Nancy Nelson, senior advocacy manager for AARP Illinois said

ComEd is using a “pay up and shut up philosophy” that would “leave millions of residential and business consumers without a voice and at the mercy of utility companies.”

“It’s bad enough that ComEd seeks to hit consumers’ pocketbooks at a time when many are still under the crunch of the recession,” she said. “Now ComEd wants to effectively render consumers and the ICC mute.”

ComEd proposed bringing forward a similar bill last May, but lawmakers rejected the proposal. This year, the utility attempted to allay the concerns of consumer advocates before submitting the bill, but CUB (Citizens Utility Board) and others have said consumer protections aren’t nearly strong enough to gain their support.

This is COMED's second attempt in less than a year to get their proposal passed.

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COMMENT:
With both oil and power prices going up, up, and away, one must wonder...collusion?

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