HB 4595

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall monitor the impact of each public utility in the State on overall consumer savings and on the electrical grid of the State. Requires the Commission to submit an annual report to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the General Assembly that summarizes the results of the Commission's efforts no later than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act and annually thereafter. Provides that a utility shall cap residential rates for qualifying households at a set monthly maximum during a city, county, or State declaration of a winter weather emergency or an extreme heat warning that covers the area of the utility in which the qualifying household is located. Provides that each utility in the State shall file with the Commission prior to December 1 of each year a plan detailing the implementation of a residential rate cap. Provides that all plans are subject to review and approval by the Commission and that the Commission may direct a utility to modify its plan to comply with the requirements of the amendatory provisions. In provisions concerning Disconnection Protection Programs, provides that a customer who submits documentation that shows that the customer is enrolled in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), or Medicaid shall be granted protection under a utility's Disconnection Protection Program upon the receipt of the customer's documentation. Provides that, if the utility, upon reviewing the customer's documentation, determines that the documentation does not provide sufficient proof that the customer is enrolled in LIHEAP, PIPP, or Medicaid, the utility may remove the customer from the utility's Disconnection Protection Program. Provides that an electric utility that offers at least one market-based rate option, including, but not limited to, net electricity metering, for retail customers who choose to take power and energy supply service from the utility shall limit peak hour rates under the market-based rate option to no more than 150% of the rate that the customer would otherwise pay if the customer was not using the market-based rate option. Makes other changes.