What’s at stake in the Peoples Gas rate case rehearing
In two weeks regulators will decide whether or not to raise rates by an additional $7.9 million.
State Director, Illinois PIRG; Energy and Utilities Program Director, PIRG
Started on staff: 2002
B.A., Haverford College
Abe Scarr is the director of Illinois PIRG and is the PIRG Energy and Utilities Program Director. He is a lead advocate in the Illinois Capitol and in the media for stronger consumer protections, utility accountability, and good government. In 2017, Abe led a coalition to pass legislation to implement automatic voter registration in Illinois, winning unanimous support in the Illinois General Assembly for the bill. He has co-authored multiple in-depth reports on Illinois utility policy and leads coalition campaigns to reform the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program. As PIRG’s Energy and Utilities Program Director, Abe supports PIRG energy and utility campaigns across the country and leads the national Gas Stoves coalition. He also serves as a board member for the Consumer Federation of America. Abe lives in Chicago, where he enjoys biking, cooking and tending his garden.
In two weeks regulators will decide whether or not to raise rates by an additional $7.9 million.
The Peoples Gas pipe replacement program is driving up our bills while failing to achieve its public safety objective. We’re working to fix this troubled program and facilitate the transition to clean energy.
In a legal brief filed Wednesday, the consumer group argues that Peoples Gas should continue to address bonafide emergencies and finish in-progress projects in its paused pipe replacement program, but that the commission should not authorize related increases to customer bills until the Chicago gas utility does more to justify this work in its next rate hike request.
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