220 ILCS 5/9-226.5: General rate increases; public forums.

(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)

When any public utility providing electric, gas, water, or sewer service proposes a general rate increase, in addition to other notice requirements, the public utility must notify its customers of their right to request a public forum. A customer or group of customers must make a written request to the Commission for the public forum. The Commission, at its discretion, shall schedule the public forum unless it is determined that the Commission does not have adequate staff or financial resources or that the public forum cannot be convened in a timely manner. The public utility must, to the best of the public utility's ability, provide advance notice of 30 days for each public forum to the governing bodies of any units of local government affected by the proposed general rate increase. The day and location of each public forum shall be selected so as to encourage the greatest public participation. Reports and comments made during or as a result of each public forum must be made available to the hearing officials and reviewed when drafting a recommended or tentative decision, finding, or order. Failure to comply with this Section shall not render invalid or otherwise affect the validity of any order entered by the Commission in a general rate proceeding.

This Section does not apply to a public utility providing electric, gas, water, or sewer service to less than 15,000 customers as of January 1, 2026.