IL residents rally behind legislation to slow energy rate hikes

METRO EAST (KMOV) – Dozens of people rallied in Springfield Tuesday in support of legislation that could potentially slow electricity rate increases.

Blacks in Green in Chicago was one of the organizations that protested the increase in utility bills in Illinois.

The group supports The act on easing the utility tariff. The bill intends to add accessibility criteria to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) review. In particular, the elderly and people with children are the people for whom the bill provides relief.

The ICC is a government organization that approves or rejects rate hikes by energy companies Ameren Illinois.

“We’re asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to specifically consider affordability and clarify how they factor affordability into pricing situations,” said Naomi Davis, founder of Blacks in Green.

“No one wants to see higher energy costs,” said Marceline Love, a spokeswoman for Ameren Illinois. “So you know that’s the economy, when you have a lot of demand and a lot of supply, it’s going to cause the price to go up.”

Submitted by Ameren Illinois four-year plan asking the ICC to raise interest in millions of dollars.

“So we understand that this is not a good time to propose these kinds of reforms or to make these investments. Higher costs will affect all of us,” Love said.

Ameren only supplies gas and electricity to suppliers. According to Ameren Illinois, suppliers are raising prices because electricity supplies are not enough as the state moves toward cleaner energy.

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