Illinois regulators unanimously approved rate hikes for four major natural gas utilities, but slashed the utilities’ requested rate increases by as much as 50%. The regulators also launched a series of “future of gas” hearings that will for the first time hold the utilities accountable for aligning their planning with the state’s 100% clean energy goals. “As the state embarks on a journey toward a 100% clean energy economy, the gas system’s operations will not continue to exist in its current form,” the Commission’s Chairman said in a statement.
