Illinois Denies, Without Prejudice, Expanded License for Retail Supplier, Citing Complaints

The Illinois Commerce Commission denied, without prejudice, the application of HIKO Energy, LLC for an expanded alternative retail electric supplier license, citing concerns about complaints.

HIKO Energy is currently authorized to serve customers at ComEd, and is active in the ComEd mass market. HIKO had applied for an amended license to serve customers at Ameren and the remaining service areas in the state.

The ICC noted that HIKO, "has received numerous informal complaints from New York customers and, since being certificated in the ComEd service territory, has had informal complaints against it in Illinois."

HIKO began providing service in Illinois in August 2012. HIKO stated that it has had 16 informal complaints in Illinois. "The information provided reflects that in 10 of the reported informal complaints simply indicated that the customer decided to cancel the service. Another two were requests to be put on Applicant's no call list," the ICC noted in its order.

The ICC also noted that the Maryland PSC recently denied, without prejudice, supplier license applications from HIKO due to concerns about complaints, with the Maryland PSC directing that any re-filing of an application must contain an additional six months of complaint data from the other states in which the company operates, starting from July 3, 2012.

"The number of complaints in New York and the existence of complaints in Illinois give the Commission concerns about the Applicant's technical and managerial abilities to provide retail electric service throughout the State of Illinois. Given these concerns, the Commission concludes that Applicant's request for an amended Certificate of Service Authority to operate as an ARES in Illinois should be denied without prejudice," the ICC ordered.