Welcome to Newswire — your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what action we can take to make our city great, featuring public meeting coverage by City Bureau’s Documenters.

Quote/Term of the Week

Administrative law judge / noun

A licensed attorney who conducts administrative hearings within certain branches of government. For the Illinois Commerce Commission, these judges act as independent, impartial hearing officers who manage public utility dockets and guide cases before the full board. 

Ex: An administrative law judge weighed in the Peoples Gas rate hike, offering a recommendation to the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Have you made a public comment at an ICC meeting (either online or in-person) after reading Newswire? If so, let us know! Email grace@citybureau.org with your story.

Last time on “Peoples Gas wants to charge you more – again”

Here’s the update we promised. Last week, an administrative law judge cleared the way for  Peoples Gas to raise rates again, but the approved increase is less than half of what the company wanted. 

The judge ruled Peoples Gas hike rates by $66 million instead of the $144 million the company proposed. (We’re not quite sure yet how much a $66 million increase would mean for our bills. We’ll report back once we know more). 

Now it’s up to the Illinois Commerce Commission (remember them?) to decide.   

PAUSE: Let’s recap the timeline

  • November 2023: The Illinois Commerce Commission approves a more than $300 million natural gas rate hike, to fund the Peoples Gas Pipe Retirement Program (formerly, the Safety Modernization Program), making it the largest rate hike in Illinois history.

  • November  2023: ICC tells Peoples Gas to pause the pipe replacement project to investigate rising costs and timelines.

  • May 2025: The ICC allows Peoples Gas to continue the pipe replacement program under tighter guidelines.

  • January 2026: Peoples Gas requests a $202 million rate hike. Which would result in customers paying an average of another $11 a month, or about $130 a year.

  • March 2026: Organizers push back against the rate hike, saying Chicagoans already are overburdened by their local utility bills. Over 145,000 Chicago households are at least 30 days behind on Peoples Gas bills. Meanwhile, parent company WEC Energy Group reported $1.6 billion in profits in 2025, and saw revenue surge to nearly $10 billion between 2024 and 2025, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 

  • May 2026: Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company reach a settlement with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. The settlement related to monthly charges the companies implemented from 2017 to 2023. Raoul’s office argued the companies improperly spent money collected from those  charges. Under the agreement, Peoples Gas will distribute $75 million in bill credits over three years: $25 million in 2026, $25 million in 2027, and $25 million in 2028 to eligible customers.

  • July 2026: Peoples Gas reduces its rate hike request from $202 million to $144 million, which would mean another $7-$8/month for customers. 

  • October 2026: An administrative judge weighs in on the rate hike, ruling that $66 million would be a justifiable amount. 

PLAY: What’s next?

Now that the judge’s recommendation is shared with the ICC, the commission is set to vote on the rate hike next month. Consumer advocates are pushing those commissioners to cut the rate hike even more following years of rising costs and financial pressures for residents.

This really — no, really — could be your time to contact the ICC. Here’s how you do it:

The ICC’s next open meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15.

For more information on how to make a public comment, check out this past edition of Newswire.

What you can do:

Follow the Citizens Utility Board: The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is advocating for lower utility bills, cleaner energy and consumer protections. Check out CUB’s website here and learn more about how you can take action.

A version of this story was first published in the October 14, 2026 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.

Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Civic Editor Dawn Rhodes at dawn@citybureau.org.