The Illinois Competitive Energy Association (ICEA)

 The Illinois Competitive Energy Association (ICEA) is a leading regulatory and legislative advocacy coalition of competitive energy suppliers dedicated to ensuring that Illinois citizens, businesses, and all other energy consumers have the opportunity to enjoy the many benefits that robust competitive energy markets can bring.  ICEA members are alternative retail electric suppliers, alternative gas suppliers, and an independent power producer whose focus is preserving and championing customer choice of energy supply and Illinois’ competitive electric and natural gas markets. 

 Many consumers enjoy the benefits of retail energy competition today.  Over 57,000 electric consumers and over 300,000 natural gas consumers in Illinois have left their electric or natural gas utility and chosen a competitive supplier for their electric or natural gas supply.

 Competitive energy supplies serve all segments of the economy including residential customers, small businesses, commercial retail, local governments, park districts, schools, cultural institutions, sporting facilities, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers and even – at the wholesale level – utilities.  The competitive energy suppliers that are members of ICEA help customers manage their energy costs, save money, and stay in business through a range of pricing options, clean energy products, innovative technological solutions and customized offerings.

 The Illinois Competitive Energy Association members include some of the most active electricity and natural case suppliers in the competitive retail market serving commercial, industrial and public sector customers.  Our members are Constellation NewEnergy, Direct Energy Services, Exelon Energy Company, Integrys Energy Services, MC Squared Energy Services, Midwest Generation, Ameren Energy Marketing, Champion Energy Services, and Nordic Energy Services.

 The Association’s Guiding Principles

 Competitive retail and wholesale energy markets offer superior benefits to both consumers and the environment in comparison to government-controlled monopoly regulation.  Specifically, the Illinois Competitive Energy Association believes that:

 ·        Competitive energy markets allow consumers to shop among suppliers for innovative products, services, and rate plans that best meet their needs;

·        Competitive energy markets are the best way to ensure that all consumers receive reliable energy at the lowest possible costs; and,

·        Competitive energy markets are the best means to address climate change, demand response opportunities, conservation, and the development of advanced and renewable energy products.

 The Association’s Mission

 The Illinois Competitive Energy Association is an Illinois-based trade association of competitive energy suppliers whose mission is to preserve and enhance customer choice and the competitive electricity and natural gas industries by carrying out the following mission elements in a proactive and effective manner:

 ·        Fostering a regulatory and legislative environment that encourages the development of and continued reliance on customer choice in competitive retail and wholesale energy markets;

·        Educating policy makers and the public about the benefits to energy customers and the Illinois economy of competition in the electric and natural gas industries;

·        Being the relied-upon “go to” resource for policy makers, the media, and the public on issues relating to competitive retail energy markets in Illinois;

·        Advocating positions and undertaking projects that preserve and improve the ability for competitive energy providers to serve Illinois customers;

·        Defending against threats to competitive energy markets caused by unscrupulous marketing practices.

 Competitive Markets Work in Illinois

 The Illinois Competitive Energy Association believes that customer choice and competitive electric and natural gas markets are a success story in Illinois as evidenced by the following statistics:

.   ·        Over 50% of all kilowatt hours consumed in Illinois are provided by alternative retail electric suppliers.

·        About 75% of all non-residential (commercial and industrial customers) electric load in Illinois was provided by alternative retail electric suppliers.

·        97% of all very large-size commercial and industrial customers and 90% of all large commercial and industrial customers have switched to alternative retail electric suppliers in the ComEd service territory.

·        About 96% of all very large-size commercial and industrial customers and about 71% of all large-size commercial and industrial customers have switched to alternative retail electric suppliers in the Ameren Illinois Utilities service territory.

·        The number of customers buying from alternative retail electric suppliers has more than tripled since 2006.

·        In 2009, 37 alternative retail electric suppliers were licensed to serve non-residential customers, and eight suppliers were eligible to serve residential customers. Thirty alternative retail electric suppliers are actively selling service with eleven alternative retail electric suppliers actively selling in the Ameren service territory and 19 actively selling in the ComEd service territory.

·        Competitively priced natural gas sold to retail customers from alternative gas suppliers accounted for more than 43% of retail natural gas sales in Illinois.