Illinois e-News Release

March 12, 2025

 

Cayli Baker

Office: (312) 793-8841 

Springfield, IL – The Illinois Commerce Commission’s (ICC) Office of Diversity and Community Affairs’ (ODCA) 2024 Annual Report shows that diverse spending by the state’s largest investor-owned utilities has grown steadily for the fourth year in a row at over $2 billion. Some utilities reported a nearly 45 percent share of their total spending with diverse suppliers, including minority, women, veteran, and small business enterprises. 

“The ICC’s supplier diversity outreach and inclusion efforts are having a positive impact on Illinois’ women-, veteran- and minority-owned small businesses,” said ICC Chairman Doug Scott. “While challenges remain, we are committed to ensuring minority-owned business groups have the opportunity to compete in Illinois’ energy market.”

The report provides a summary and analysis of data from nine years of reports submitted by Illinois’ “Big 6” public utilities, Ameren Illinois, Aqua Illinois, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas Company, and Peoples Gas /North Shore Gas Company.

Illinois law requires the Big 6 utility companies to report their annual supplier diversity outreach and inclusion efforts to the ICC. Statistical data demonstrates this reporting requirement has resulted in the state’s largest utilities growing their diverse spend from an average of 15 to nearly 45 percent of all procurement spending. Supplier diversity reports now include each utility company’s future buying plan for goods and services. This change alerts diverse suppliers and assist agencies about upcoming procurement opportunities.

  

“The Office of Diversity and Community Affairs is pleased with the growth in diverse spend, but our work is far from over. We have identified areas where there is room for improvement by the utilities in 2025, including fleet services, information technology outsourcing, and software maintenance,” said ICC Director of Diversity and Community Affairs Jeanine V. Robinson. 

ODCA works to bring together utilities, non-profits, and diverse suppliers to foster relationships and nurture mentoring programs to build a pipeline of diverse suppliers. 

Diverse businesses interested in assistance and one-on-one support are encouraged to participate in the Office of Minority Economic Empowerment’s (OMEE) initiatives run through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. OMEE is committed to providing minority-, women-, persons with disabilities, and veteran-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state with equitable access to opportunities and resources. Individuals and diverse businesses interested in upcoming energy programs born from the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) are encouraged to explore the CEJA Implementation program, also administered through DCEO.

In 2017, Illinois became the first state to mandate that suppliers of wind and solar energy report on their efforts to diversify their supply chains. In 2019, OCDA began requiring diverse spending data for Illinois-headquartered businesses compared to total diverse spending. Illinois diverse spending for minority, women, and veteran businesses for the Big 6 currently ranges from approximately 13-30 percent. Most of the companies increased their spend with Illinois diverse businesses, and collectively, almost 60 percent of the utilities’ diverse spend is with Illinois businesses. 

A copy of the report can be found on the ICC website here. 

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is a quasi-judicial body made up of five Commissioners. Through its Public Utility Program, the Commission oversees the provision of adequate, reliable, efficient, and safe utility services at the least possible cost to Illinois citizens served by electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, and sewer public utility companies. Through its Transportation Regulatory Program, the Commission oversees public safety and consumer protection programs with regard to intrastate commercial motor carriers of general freight, household goods movers, relocation towers, safety towers, personal property warehouses, and repossession agencies. The Commission’s Rail Safety Program also inspects and regulates the general safety of railroad tracks, facilities, and equipment in the state. 

To learn more about the Commission, its offices, and bureaus, click here. If you are a consumer who needs help resolving a utility dispute call 800-524-0795 or file an online complaint here.  For transportation complaints call 847-294-4326.

Follow the Illinois Commerce Commission on social media @ILCommerceComm.