AARP Illinois Statement on ICC's Decision in the Peoples Gas SMP Rate Case

The following statement was issued by AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent following the Illinois Commerce Commission’s decision in the Peoples Gas System Modernization Program rate case:

"On behalf of our 1.7 million members, AARP Illinois commends the Illinois Commerce Commission’s decision to reject Peoples Gas’ System Modernization Program (SMP) proposal.

This decision is a monumental and historic win for Peoples Gas customers, many of whom are AARP members.

The Peoples Gas SMP has burdened Chicago customers for far too long, costing ratepayers an exorbitant amount over the past decade and adding to the financial strain of Illinois residents already struggling with rising utility costs.

AARP Illinois and our 250,000 Chicago members have actively engaged in this fight, providing testimony, requesting and sharing powerful personal stories at public hearings, and delivering more than 10,000 petitions to the Illinois Commerce Commission.

We thank the Commission for their decision and appreciate that they took our input seriously and recognized the program’s flaws, taking necessary action to curb Peoples Gas’ overspending.

AARP Illinois acknowledges the importance of gas infrastructure safety, we firmly believe that the system ensuring this safety must also be fair and equitable for ratepayers—protecting their pocketbooks and ensuring affordability for all."