State orders new probe of massive Peoples Gas project
Q: How many different people does it take to lay pipe in the ground?
A: 50: 1 to dig the hole, 1 to put in the pipe, 5 to supervise and 43 to audit, regulate, review, police and provide oversight
The Illinois Commerce Commission, the entity responsible for oversight over utility monopolies in Illinois, has announced that the Peoples Gas pipeline replacement project be reopened and investigated.
Peoples Gas has been digging up Chicago streets for over a year as part as part of what was a $5.7 billion and is now projected to be over $7 billion. The ICC previously investigated Peoples Gas and fined them $18 million, oh but they approved $3.5 billion of the project!
Perhaps the ICC will hold Peoples Gas accountable for spending recklessly and not approve billions while barely slapping their hand with a petty fine
Previous reports have provided insight into the topic include: http://realgyenergyservices.com/?s=peoples+gas
- Peoples Gas Admit it withheld information; receives $3.5 Billion more but pays $18 Million fine.
- “I am NOT a crook!”
- Peoples Gas Officials ‘Misled’ Regulators About Cost Overruns
- Who oversees a monopoly that is spending recklessly?
- Peoples Gas parent to be acquired in $9.1 billion deal
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
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Will Trump’s environmental policy change Coal’s use; Utilities respond with a No
Since Trump’s election, utilities continue to replace/retire coal plants in favor of new plants or future plants. When facings such decisions utility executives cite technology and customers as a factor more than any of Trump’s statements or latest tweet. Six coal plants have announced closure since his election.
Utilities plan for decades ahead. Whether a President wants to use more coal really has no bearing on any power plant or power plant development. Technology has caused solar, wind and non-fuel using energy creation to be nearly as economical as any fossil-fuel generation. Considering the technology advances that are just on the horizon and customer’s changing use pattern and preferences you have some easy decisions for utility and power generation executives.
Retire coal plants. Energy demand is falling so a replacement might not be needed immediately. When the demand for additional electricity is demonstrated or forecasted, a non-fuel generation choice of wind or solar is considered. Natural gas has been used as a replacement for coal generation for at least 8 years due to its lower cost and abundant supply.
NIPSCO’s recent decision to close Baily Generating Station in northwest Indiana follows this pattern. By 2023 NIPSCO will go from generating 90% of electricity from coal to less than 40%. This decrease in coal’s dominance, will still leave NIPSCO with more coal generation than many neighboring utilities.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
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Where’s Minnesota’s electricity choice?
Remember when competition amongst competitors was relied on to lower cost, provide innovation and serve consumers.
Allowing customers to be served directly from the wholesale markets for their natural gas and electricity has lowered costs, provided innovation and is serving millions of customers.
States around Minnesota such as; Illinois, Indiana and Michigan all have some customer choice programs in place.
Minnesota does not.
Minnesota has only a monopoly; a government regulated utility. Customers have no choice, the government oversees the utility to set the price of power and the government oversees that they are charging the correct amount.
So Minnesota’s monopoly utility wants to spend $800 million to build a new power plant and wants to be repaid for it regardless of whether it delivers any energy.
Minnesotans should look to other states to see how customer choice completion works for consumer’s not politicians or the monopoly utility.
The government does not regulate the wholesale energy markets and they are not needed to regulate the retail energy markets. Customer choice allows business to deliver wholesale power directly to customer.
Minnesota consumers deserve the benefits of cost savings and innovation from customer choice. They do not need a regulated monopoly that is government regulated deciding their energy choices.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.
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