Customers of Liberty Utilities in southern and central Illinois will be paying more for natural gas, but not as much as Liberty had requested.
The Illinois Commerce Commission approved a nearly $3.2-million increase which is 22-percent lower Liberty’s initial $4.1 million request. The ICC also approved a 9.9-percent return on equip for the company, a reduction from the requested 10.8-percent.
An ICC official says the commission issued its decision after closely scrutinizing Liberty’s rate case filing and additional materials submitted by the utility, ICC staff, and various interveners over an 11-month legal proceeding. The process aims to ensure that utilities receive the necessary funds to provide safe and reliable service to customers and to maintain and replace aging infrastructure at a reasonable cost. In accordance with the Illinois Public Utilities Act, the costs are only recoverable if the utility demonstrates they are reasonable and prudent.
The impact of the rate case decision on individual customers will vary based on customers’ service class and energy usage.
Liberty Utilities provides natural gas service to around 21,000 customers in southern and central Illinois, many in the local region.
