What to know about Illinois’ electric rate hikes in the midst of low production and high demand

Reginald Hardwick/Illinois Public Media
As summer begins, that can mean dialing down the temperature on the air conditioner and breaking out fans for many. The electricity Illinoisans use to power all of that will be more expensive this year.
Rates for electricity are already higher during the summer months. This year, that’ll be even higher as the Midwest deals with reduced capacity for power generation. On top of that, demand for electricity is up, and when the Illinois General Assembly ended its spring session last week, it did so without passing major legislation to address the state’s energy needs.
The head of an organization that advocates for the state's utility consumers gives her take on why all this is happening, what it means across Illinois and what people can do to keep their rates low.
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Sarah Moskowitz
Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board