Regulator Opens Investigation Of Retail Supplier Plans To Distribute FERC-Related Transmission Refunds

Note: This story was first published on Dec. 4 with an alert to our email subscribers

The Illinois Commerce Commission today on its own motion opened a proceeding to collect information relevant to alternative retail electric suppliers' plans to distribute Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-ordered settlement proceeds to end-user customers in the Commonwealth Edison service territory.

The ICC also approved the issuance of Staff Data Requests concerning the issue

An order from the ICC was not immediately available

However, a spokesperson for the ICC confirmed that the referenced settlement proceeds related to litigation concerning regional transmission expansion costs assigned to the ComEd zone.

Specifically, the ICC in September announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a settlement agreement that will refund over $318 million to ratepayers in the ComEd territory. In such September announcement, the ICC said that credits should start to appear on ComEd customer bills beginning in October.

The settlement related to the cost allocation of certain large transmission projects, paid by LSEs including retail suppliers. The ICC noted that such transmission projects were on the East Coast but their costs were previously assigned to Illinois ratepayers without any showing of commensurate benefits.