Illinois Commerce Commission Centennial Celebrate the ICC's History Continuing the Commitment to Rail Safety and Innovation ICC-Celebrating-the-Past-Transporting-The-Future Video Illinois Commerce Commission The History 1838 The oldest public utility in Illinois is the steam railroad. It was back in 1838 that a tiny locomotive puffed over the first line of railroad built and operated in the state. It linked Springfield and Meredosia. It was completed in 1842. With a current railroad network of approximately 7,400 miles, Illinois' rail system is the country's second largest. 1850 In Illinois, gas service was introduced in Chicago in 1850s. Today, there are nine investor-owned gas companies operating in the state under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Commerce Commission. 1871 The Illinois General Assembly created the three-member Railroad and Warehouse Commission to investigate the management and business of railroads and warehouses and to prosecute violations of state law. 1873 In 1873, the Legislature granted the Commission the power to establish maximum rates for the use of public warehouses and for the transportation of freight and passengers by railroads. Illinois thus became the first state to regulate public utility rates. In 1873, an appeals committee was appointed by the commission to handle complaints on grain inspection. 1877 In 1877, the United States Supreme Court upheld the validity of state regulation of utilities in the historic case of Munn v. Illinois. This decision permitted the Legislature, acting under its police power, to regulate the rates and service of privately owned business enterprises which are "affected with a public interest. 1890 Became a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). 1911 The Commission was authorized to investigate railroad accidents that resulted in injury or death, and to conduct investigations and hearings on the operations of public utilities. 1913 On June 30, 1913, the 48th General Assembly replaced the Railroad and Warehouse Commission with a five- member State Public Utilities Commission. In addition to its existing authority over railroads, the new Commission was given broad powers over all of the investor- owned public utilities within the state. 1921 100 years ago in 1921, the General Assembly enacted the Public Utilities Act which transferred the Public Utilities Commission's powers to the newly created and independent agency named the Illinois Commerce Commission. 1928 Daniel M. Jackson from Chicago was the first African American Commissioner. Appointed by Governor Len Small he served from September 1928 until his death in May 1929. 1949 In 1949, the Public Utilities Act was again amended to establish the present statutory policy of a bi-partisan Commission and five-year staggered terms for the Commissioners who are to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. 1953 The Commission was assigned regulatory authority over motor vehicles for hire in 1953, with the passage of the Illinois Motor Carrier of Property Act. 1955 In 1955, the state legislature created the Grade Crossing Protection Fund to help local counties, townships and municipalities pay for improvements on their roads. 1960-1970 The ICC's jurisdiction and enforcement powers over public utilities and motor carriers were greatly expanded with the Electric Supplier Act in 1965 and the Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act in 1975, and by amendments adopted to the Motor Carrier of Property Act. 1963 June 1963, the original requirement that each public utility pay the investigation expenses related to that utility was abolished and a Public Utility Fund was established. Proceeds from a tax on the gross revenues of each public utility were deposited in the fund. 1972 The Consumer Services Division organized to help customers resolve disputes with the utilities. 1973 In 1973, Governor Dan Walker appointed the first woman to the Commission. Helen D. Schmid of Glen Ellyn served on the Commission from May 1973 until June 1983. ICC Commissioner Cyrus J. Colter ended his 22-year tenure (1951 to 1973). The longest in the agency's history and spanned the terms of six governors. The Railroad Section Track Safety program was established in 1973, when the Illinois legislature adopted the Federal Track Safety Standards as Illinois' standards and directed the ICC to enforce them. 1975 Illinois became the ninth state to embrace the concept of a universal emergency telephone number and the Illinois General Assembly directed the ICC to assist and coordinate the implementation of 9-1-1 emergency systems throughout the state. 1976 Illinois was one of the first states to adopt an Operation Lifesaver rail safety awareness and education program. That year, there were over 800 rail incidents at public grade crossings and 96 fatalities. In 2020, preliminary statistics indicate there were 82 collisions at public highway-rail crossings in Illinois and 17 fatalities. 1984 April 1984, the ICC adopted procedures to initiate Notices of Inquiry. The NOI proceeding is intended to solicit broad comment on significant policy issues. The first NOI was opened in May 1984, the Analysis of Usage Sensitive Service also known as Local Measured Service. 1985 Revisions to the Illinois Public Utilities Act created a new position of Executive Director at the ICC. 1986 The Docket Case Management System went into operation. 1997 In 1997 legislation was approved to deregulate the electric utility supply industry in Illinois. The law created a new competitive energy marketplace giving customers within the Ameren and ComEd service territories the opportunity to purchase power from an alternative energy supplier. 1999 The ICC began to certificate alternative retail electric suppliers and adopted rules for new entrants to the electric energy market in Illinois. In addition, legislation was signed into law requiring the ICC to develop an annual five-year plan to prioritize rail-highway crossing improvements, and to allocate monies from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund to help communities and railroads across the state pay for the upgrades. 2000 The Commission began a web-based electronic filing and docketing system known as E-Docket. The system enables users to file, search and print documents using a docket number allowing for greater transparency and access to public information on utility rates and ratemaking by Illinois citizens. The move to an electronic format was a laborious process that required the conversion of tens of thousands of hard copies of ICC filings, orders and other important documents into an electric format. 2001 The Illinois Underground Utility Facility Damage Protection Act was revised to outline the responsibilities of underground utility facility operation and excavators with regards to notifying the statewide One-call notice system (otherwise known as J.U.L.I.E), marking of underground utility facilities, and excavating near utility facilities. The responsibility of enforcing violations of the Act was assigned to the ICC. In Chicago, the one-call notice system responsible for enforcing with the city is known as DIGGER. 2008 Pursuant to Retail Electric Competition Act of 2006, the Commission established the Office of Retail Market Development to promote the development of an effectively competitive retail electricity market. The Commission also adopted new rules governing the licensing of retail electric agents, brokers and consultants entering the competitive market to sell electricity to customers on behalf of an ARES. 2015 The agency created an Office of Diversity and Community Affairs to encourage supplier diversity by the utilities. As a result, diverse spending by the state's regulated utilities has improved year after year with them reporting having spent more than $2 billion with diverse suppliers in 2020. 2017 The Illinois Commerce Commission established the Office of Cybersecurity and Risk Management to work with the state's regulated utilities to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. 2019 The capital bill and Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan included $78,000,000 appropriated from the Multi-Modal Transportation Bond Fund for the installation of grade crossing protection or grade separations at places where a public highway crosses a railroad at grade as ordered by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The Commission developed a Citizen's Utility Guide to help the public and other interested persons to better navigate this multi-faceted agency. 2020 The ICC responded quickly to protect residents and small businesses from losing access to life-saving electric, gas, water, and sewer service during the COVID-19 public health emergency by imposing a moratorium on disconnections and late payment fees. Later the Commission spear- headed negotiations that resulted in historic agreements between the large and small regulated utilities, agency, and consumer advocates to put into place consumer protections to help customers stay connected and better afford their utility bills. In addition, the Commission initiated three separate Notice of Inquiries (NOIs) to explore further the topics of Safety and Reliability of Utility Service in Illinois; Utility Affordability; and Transportation Electrification Rate Design and Affordability. The Commission also expanded its electrical safety and reliability program by investing in new field inspectors and an assistant director and invested more resources into its ARES/AGS enforcement efforts. 2021 The Commission, consumer advocate groups and the utilities negotiated asecond agreement to protect low-income consumers and others hard hit financial by the pandemic from disconnection. This agreement extended the offering of bill payment assistance programs to help reduce utility arrearages and more generous, and flexible deferred payment arrangements.