ALTERNATIVE ELEC/GAS SUPPLIERS

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title and applicability of the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 220 ILCS 5/16-101 Adds reference to: 220 ILCS 5/16-115A 220 ILCS 5/16-115E new 220 ILCS 5/16-118 220 ILCS 5/16-123 220 ILCS 5/19-115 220 ILCS 5/19-116 new 220 ILCS 5/19-130 220 ILCS 5/19-135 220 ILCS 5/20-110 815 ILCS 505/2EE 815 ILCS 505/2DDD Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Adds additional requirements concerning the obligations of alternative retail electric suppliers and alternative gas suppliers. Provides requirements concerning alternative retail electric and gas supplier utility assistance recipients. Provides additional requirements concerning alternative retail electric and gas supplier utility single billing. Authorizes electric utilities to disclose and furnish specified information to customers concerning supply price and electric power and energy supply rate offers. Provides for additional information concerning electric and gas utilities to be submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission in specified reports. Provides that the utility electric supply price to compare shall be the sum of the electric supply charge and the transmission services charge and shall not include the purchased electricity adjustment. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides additional requirements concerning alternative retail electric supplier and alternative gas supplier selection and solicitation of services. Makes other changes. Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 In marketing materials, requires the price to compare or utility gas supply cost rate beginning on (rather than on) the effective date of the price to compare. Makes grammatical changes in references to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan. Provides that an agreement between an alternative retail electric supplier and a consumer who either received financial assistance in the last 12 months from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or, at the time of enrollment, is participating in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan is void and unenforceable. Requires that alternative gas suppliers submit to the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Office of the Attorney General the rates the retail gas supplier charged to residential customers in the prior year (rather than prior quarter). In provisions requiring alternative gas suppliers to disclose the utility gas supply cost rates per therm price to compare, requires the alternative gas supplier to disclose the date on which the utility gas supply cost rates per therm became effective and the date on which they will expire. Requires that certain written information provided by an alternative retail gas supplier to a customer switching from another supplier shall be provided in a language in which the customer subject to the marketing or solicitation is able to understand and communicate, and the alternative retail gas supplier shall comply with specified provisions of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning alternative retail gas supplier and utility assistance recipients. Makes other changes. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 220 ILCS 5/16-115 220 ILCS 5/16-115A 220 ILCS 5/16-115B 220 ILCS 5/16-115E new 220 ILCS 5/16-118 220 ILCS 5/16-119 220 ILCS 5/16-123 220 ILCS 5/19-110 220 ILCS 5/19-115 220 ILCS 5/19-116 new 220 ILCS 5/19-120 220 ILCS 5/19-130 220 ILCS 5/19-135 220 ILCS 5/20-110 815 ILCS 505/2EE 815 ILCS 505/2DDD Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with additions and changes. Adds provisions concerning certification of alternative retail electric suppliers and alternative gas suppliers, and provides additional requirements for the granting of a certificate of service authority. Makes changes in provisions concerning the obligations of alternative retail electric suppliers and alternative gas suppliers. Provides additional oversight requirements by the Illinois Commerce Commission of alternative retail electric suppliers and alternative gas suppliers. Makes changes in provisions concerning financial assistance recipients. Provides additional requirements concerning alternative retail electric supplier and alternative gas supplier selection and services. Makes other changes. House Floor Amendment No. 3 In a Section of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act relating to alternative retail electric suppliers, limits the disclosure of comparison prices and a related explanatory statement to consumers who are either small commercial retail customers or residential consumer (currently, these disclosures are made to all consumers).