Ameren Energy Efficiency Ruling at Illinois Commerce Commission
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) concluded a controversial energy efficiency case today by allowing Ameren Illinois to lower its energy efficiency targets required under the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA). The Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Consumers Utility Board, along with the Illinois Attorney General, have opposed Ameren’s lowered energy efficiency targets.
The following is a statement from Henry Henderson, Midwest Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):
“We—and the politically neutral administrative law judge who reviewed the proceedings—believe Ameren can and should do much, much better. The ICC’s decision means that Ameren does not have to meet their energy efficiency requirements, undercutting the interests of its customers, and goes against the administrative law judge’s proposed order which carefully evaluated Ameren’s plan.
"Despite today’s decision showing that Ameren can clearly offer low-income programs and meet higher energy savings goals, Ameren has created a false choice between a plan that will benefit low-income customers and one that will meet its savings goals; they can and should do both. Unfortunately, Ameren has lowered its commitment to energy efficiency programs that would have directly benefited those communities and the entire state.
“This is a sad outcome for Illinois: clout is winning out. Ameren is undercutting implementation of the Future Energy Jobs Act—one of the few successful collaborations between the Rauner Administration and Illinois General Assembly.”
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.