Voice your opinion on the “Future of Gas”

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) initiated Future of Gas Proceedings earlier this year to analyze the role of natural gas in the State’s decarbonization goals. You have an opportunity to be a part of the process by commenting before the end of the day on Friday, June 7.

These proceedings are meant to inform the ICC on topics that need further discussion and analysis by the Commission as they determine the future of natural gas consumption in Illinois. Natural gas is a vital source of energy for Illinois companies, particularly our manufacturing sector that drives the Quad Cities economy. As the Illinois Manufacturing Association notes, American manufacturers consume one-third of all energy generated in the United States.

Discussions around decarbonization of the energy industry threaten to raise costs on manufacturers, reduce the energy reliability for all customers and will negatively impact jobs and future economic development prospects (particularly in our bi-state region).

We ask that you, as a local manufacturer take a moment to comment on these proceedings by explaining how important natural gas is to your current production and what the impact of a potential required transition to a different energy source would have on your processes and future success. We also encourage you to specifically site Rock Island County as an outlier in the state since we are served by MidAmerican Energy. Any action by the ICC should consider the unique circumstances of the Quad Cities region.

You can comment on these proceedings using this template which instructs you how to send the comments. Questions that should be raised include:

• How will a move away from natural gas increase costs for manufacturers and consumers?
• How does a transition take place without current availability of replacement technology to fill energy needs?
• How will a transition away from natural gas impact Illinois' ability to attract large-scale investment, particularly for bi-state regions like the Quad Cities?
• How will regional economies in Illinois compete when they share borders with states that maintain natural gas infrastructure?

Please feel free to create your own questions that will require the ICC’s proceedings to truly demonstrate the costs and negative impacts of a transition away from natural gas.