CHICAGO — Electric rates will likely go up next year for customers of Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois, but they won’t go as high as the utilities had hoped.

Capitol News Illinois reports the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the smaller rate increases on Thursday.
The ICC also rejected plans from the companies which included spending proposals and efforts to meet state climate goals.

Commission Chairman Doug Scott says the plans don’t meet the standards set in Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.

In a rare move, commission member and former AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan dissented in the decision. He says the board could have modified the requests to comply with state law.

Consumer and environmental advocates praised the decision as being an overdue step towards tighter utility oversight.