§ 19-120 — Commission oversight of services provided by gas suppliers

Illinois § 19-120

• Jurisdiction: Illinois
• Topic: REGULATION
• Ch. 220: UTILITIES
• Act 220 ILCS 5/: Public Utilities Act.
• Art.: Article XIX - Alternative Gas Supplier Law

Text

(a) The provisions of this Section shall apply only to alternative gas suppliers serving or seeking to serve residential or small commercial customers and only to the extent such alternative gas suppliers provide services to residential or small commercial customers. (b) The Commission shall have jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions of Article X of this Act either to investigate on its own motion in order to determine whether or to entertain and dispose of any complaint by any person or corporation, chamber of commerce, board of trade, or any industrial, commercial, mercantile, agricultural or manufacturing society, or any body politic or municipal corporation against any alternative gas supplier alleging that: (1) the alternative gas supplier has violated or is in nonconformance with any applicable provisions of Section 19-110, 19-111, 19-112, or Section 19-115; (1.5) that the alternative retail gas supplier violated any rule adopted by the Commission to govern the sales, marketing, or operations of retail gas suppliers; (2) an alternative gas supplier has failed to provide service in accordance with the terms of its contract or contracts with a customer or customers; (3) the alternative gas supplier has violated or is in nonconformance with the transportation services tariff of, or any of its agreements relating to transportation services with, the gas utility or municipal system providing transportation services; or (4) the alternative gas supplier has violated or failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 8-201 through 8-207, 8-301, 8-505, or 8-507 of this Act as made applicable to alternative gas suppliers. (c) The Commission shall have authority after such administrative notice as is required by the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and after an administrative hearing held on complaint or on the Commission's own motion to order any or all of the following remedies, penalties, or forms of relief: (1) order an alternative gas supplier to cease and desist, or correct, any violation of or nonconformance with the provisions of Section 19-110, 19-111, 19-112, or 19-115, or any violation or nonconformance over which the Commission has jurisdiction under subsection (a) of Section 19-120; (2) impose financial penalties for violations of or nonconformances with the provisions of Section 19-110, 19-111, 19-112, or 19-115, not to exceed $10,000 per occurrence, and for any violations or nonconformances that continue after the Commission issues a cease and desist order, up to an additional $30,000 for each day the violations or nonconformances continue; and (3) alter, modify, revoke, or suspend the certificate of service authority of an alternative gas supplier for substantial or repeated violations of or nonconformances with the provisions of Section 19-110, 19-111, 19-112, or 19-115. (d) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit, restrict, or mitigate in any way the power and authority of the State's Attorneys or the Attorney General under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. (e) In addition to other powers and authority granted to it under this Act, the Commission may require an alternative gas supplier to enter into a compliance plan. If the Commission comes into possession of information causing it to conclude that an alternative gas supplier is violating this Act or the Commission's rules, the Commission may, after notice and hearing, enter an order directing the alternative gas supplier to implement practices, procedures, oversight, or other measures or refrain from practices, conduct, or activities as the Commission finds is necessary or reasonable to ensure the alternative gas supplier's compliance with this Act and the Commission's rules. Failure by an alternative gas supplier to implement or comply with a Commission-ordered compliance plan is a violation of this Section. The Commission, in its discretion, may order a compliance plan under such circumstances as it considers warranted and is not required to order a compliance plan prior to taking other enforcement action against an alternative retail gas supplier. Nothing in this subsection (e) shall be interpreted to limit the authority or right of the Attorney General.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-590, eff. 1-1-20; 102-958, eff. 1-1-23 .)