2026 Low-Income Discount Workshops
Informal Processes
2026 Low-Income Discount Workshops
Background and Workshop Timing
The Final Orders approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission (Commission) in Northern Illinois Gas Company d/b/a Nicor Gas Company, ICC Final Order, Docket No. 23-0066, 204 (Nov. 16, 2023) (“2023 Nicor Final Order”); Ameren Illinois Company d/b/a Ameren Illinois, ICC Final Order, Docket No. 23-0067, 266-267 (Nov. 16, 2023) (“2023 AIC Final Order”); and North Shore Gas Company and The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company, ICC Final Order, Docket Nos. 23-0068/23-0069 (Cons.), 268 (Nov. 16, 2023) (“2023 NS-PGL Final Order”) (collectively, the 2023 Gas Rate Cases) directed Staff of Commission to work with the large gas utilities and stakeholders to commence Low-Income Discount (“LID”) workshops no later than January 15, 2026, to further consider low-income discount rates and to further consider, at minimum, the following questions and the Commission’s Low-Income Discount Rate Study Report to the General Assembly (“Low-Income Report”), which was submitted in December 2022 pursuant to Section 9-241 of the Illinois Public Utilities Act (Act):
should LID Riders, or another cost recovery mechanism, be limited to residential customers only;
should the LIDR program incorporate seasonal differences in costs to customers and enable the Company to discount either the distribution charge or the whole bill depending on the maximum potential discount to eligible customers;
should additional low-income levels be added to the program;
should the Commission consider approving a uniform LIDR program across all regulated gas utilities in Illinois;
is customer self-reporting income sufficient;
what other income reporting methods could be used in determining customer eligibility; and
what effect the approved LIDR has on the AGS market and issues of competitive neutrality.
The Final Orders in the 2023 Gas Rate Cases also require Staff to present a report to the Commission 60 days after the workshops conclude synthesizing the workshops and any recommended steps the Commission or the Companies should take going forward (Post-Workshop LID Report).
To facilitate discussion at the Initial Workshop, Staff requests feedback on a Strawman Proposal described in this
Notice
. Staff currently plans to submit the Strawman Proposal to the Commission in its Post-Workshop LID Report absent compelling reasons to maintain the current LID program design approved in the 2023 Gas Rate Cases. In addition, the 2023 Gas Rate Cases Final Orders included a list of specific questions to be addressed, at minimum, during the LID workshops. Now, in preparation for the Initial Workshop to be held on
January 14, 2026
, Staff requests the following information from the large gas utilities and other stakeholders, including other Illinois utilities:
Responses and input from the large gas utilities and other stakeholders regarding the key features and implementation of the Strawman Proposal for large gas utilities;
Responses from the large gas utilities and other stakeholders to the questions listed in the Final Orders for consideration in the LID workshops and additional questions from Staff relating to the Strawman Proposal for a new LID program design and revenue recovery due to LID programs; and,
Feedback on the need for two in-person LID workshops in Springfield, Illinois, and whether a virtual option is necessary for attendees outside of Springfield, Illinois
For the sake of efficiency, Staff requests Initial Comments on the items listed above be submitted to
Jake.Moushon@illinois.gov
on or before
Friday, December 19, 2025
. All Initial Comments will be posted on the Commission’s website. Based on the Initial Comments, Staff will draft an agenda for the Initial Workshop to be held
January 14, 2026
Following the Initial Workshop, Staff requests any Reply Comments to the Initial Comments or comments relating to topics of discussion during the Initial Workshop be submitted to
Jake.Moushon@illinois.gov
on or before
February 5, 2026
. All Reply Comments will be posted on the Commission’s website. The Reply Comments should only be in response to the Initial Comments and should not raise new issues.
Following the submission of Reply Comments, Staff anticipates a Second Workshop to be held on
February 26
March 5, 2026
. If no additional workshops are warranted after the conclusion of the Second Workshop, Staff will notify participating stakeholders that workshops have concluded, and Staff intends to submit its Post-Workshop LID report synthesizing workshops and recommending next steps to the Commission by
April 24,
May, 4 2026
Through the process outlined above, Staff is seeking a transparent and robust discussion of the Strawman Proposal and the pending questions from the Commission in the Final Orders of the 2023 Gas Rate Cases. Like the Comments requested above, all written correspondence from utilities and other stakeholders regarding the Strawman Proposal, the LID workshops, and the Post-Workshop LID Report will be posted on the Commission’s website.
Reply Comments
ComEd
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Office of Community Assistance (OCA)
IACAA and LAA
IIEC
NCLC - LAC
Nicor
NS - PGL
Small Business Advocacy Council
Ameren
Initial Comments
CUB Comments
IACAA and LAA Comments
Ameren Comments
AG Initial Comments
NCLC-LAC Comments
DCEO - OCA
Nicor
North Shore/Peoples Gas Comments
Workshop #1 Presentations
Nicor
Peoples Gas and North Shore
IACAA
DCEO Stakeholder Meeting
ICC Staff
DCEO video presentation
Workshop #2 Presentations
ICC Staff
NCLC Presentation
DCEO Presentation
DCEO video presentation - LID Methods Comparison 20260310
DCEO: LIDS Merthods 2,3,5,11
Workshop Schedule
January 14, 2026 from 12:00PM – 4:00PM
March 5, 2026 from 12:30PM – 4:30PM
Questions regarding Staff’s request for feedback on this topic should be directed to Staff Members
Rick Bridal
or
Rochelle Phipps