* Attorney General Lisa Madigan is featured in a robocall opposing ComEd’s controversial bill. Scripts..

–LIVE ANSWER SCRIPT

LISA: Hi, this is Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan

BOB: and this is AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo.

LISA: Right now, ComEd, Ameren, and other Illinois utility companies are trying to pass legislation that will raise your electric and natural gas bills automatically every year – and guarantee higher profits for themselves.
BOB: We’re asking you to take action. Press 1 on your phone right now to tell your legislator “No Way!” to automatic utility rate increases. Join AARP and Attorney General Lisa Madigan to stop this legislation.

LISA: Press 1 on your phone right now and tell your legislator NO, you won’t foot the bill to guarantee profits for ComEd, Ameren or any other Illinois utility.

BOB: For more information, call AARP Illinois at 1-866-448-3613.

–ANSWERING MACHINE SCRIPT

LISA: Hi, this is Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan

BOB: and this is AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo. We’re sorry we missed you.

Lisa: Right now, ComEd, Ameren, and other Illinois utility companies are trying to pass legislation that will raise your electric and natural gas bills automatically every year – and guarantee higher profits for themselves.
BOB: We’re asking you to take action. Join AARP and Attorney General Lisa Madigan to stop this legislation.

LISA: Call 1-800-719-3020 and tell your legislator NO, you won’t foot the bill to guarantee profits for ComEd, Ameren or any other Illinois utility.

BOB: Call 1-800-719-3020 and tell you legislator “No Way” to automatic utility rate increases.

* Even so, ComEd’s bill is poised to fly through the General Assembly, but the ICC Chairman is also quite unhappy…

In a rare political move, the chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission came out Friday against legislation being pushed by Commonwealth Edison that would reduce the regulatory body’s role.

The company has said a faster process for determining electricity rate hikes that locks in its profit margins and sets rates according to a formula would make it easier to plan and pay for modern infrastructure, including smart grid, and would lead to fewer outages.

“This bill, at its core, is not about smart grid,” said ICC Chairman Doug Scott, who oversees the regulatory body that reviews and approves utility rate increases that show up on consumers bills.

“While smart grid is in there, this bill is really about two things: 1) being able to recover all the utility’s costs through a new system with far less stringent review; and 2) getting all those costs back at a more favorable rate of return that’s locked in by the General Assembly instead of the current method that’s designed to balance the company’s interest with the ratepayers’ interest and to account for market forces.”

* Environmentalists are also still opposed…

The latest version of the bill, released yesterday, dropped the idea of automatic rate hikes in advance of any regulatory review and added provisions to draw support from environmental groups and other interests.

“The bill’s becoming something of a Christmas tree,” said Howard Learner, president and executive director of the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center, which opposes the bill. “Clearly at this point ComEd doesn’t have the votes, but that could change in two minutes,” he said about an hour before the bill cleared the committee.

* But ComEd says low current wholesale prices will mitigate its most recent rate hike…

Commonwealth Edison says a rate increase authorized by the Illinois Commerce Commission will be offset by a drop in the wholesale price of electricity.

According to ComEd, residential consumers should see an average $1.30 drop in their monthly bill.

The ICC on Tuesday ruled ComEd can raise its electric rates by $156 million. ComEd originally requested an increase of nearly $400 million. Much of that would have gone to new technology.