Springfield, IL – The Illinois State Senate has officially confirmed the appointment of Ann McCabe as Commissioner of the Illinois Commerce Commission. Governor JB Pritzker appointed McCabe to a five-year term on February 1, 2022. McCabe has over 25 years of energy and environmental policy and regulatory experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She previously served on the Commission from March 2012 to Jan. 2017.

“I’m honored to return to the Commission to help guide Illinois’ energy transformation and to focus on energy reliability and affordability for all Illinoisans. I thank Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Senate for the opportunity.” said Commissioner Ann McCabe.

“The ICC has been tasked with helping to turn the decarbonization goals in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) into a reality, making the next few years the most impactful in our agency’s 100-year history. Ann brings a tremendous amount of regulatory experience to the Commission, and her knowledge of energy and environmental issues will be invaluable as we continue to make important decisions about Illinois’ energy future,” said ICC Chairman Carrie Zalewski.

Before her appointment to the ICC, McCabe joined the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) as US Program Manager and Principal in Jan. 2020. The non-profit organization assists energy regulators and stakeholders in achieving a cleaner, more efficient power grid.

In her prior term as a Commissioner, Ann focused on grid modernization, power sector transformation, regional transmission, and nuclear issues. She was president of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. (OPSI) and of the MidAmerica Regulatory Conference (MARC) boards and chaired the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC’s) Nuclear Issues Subcommittee.

Her consulting experience includes two years as the interim executive director of The Climate Registry and assisting nonprofit and trade association clients on regulatory and policy issues. Early in her career, she managed environmental regulatory issues at BP and Amoco and covered nuclear energy and environmental issues for the State of Illinois office in Washington, DC.

McCabe earned her master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago's Harris School, where she taught a policy lab in the spring and fall of 2019, and a bachelor’s in political science from Williams College. She currently serves on the NARUC Energy Resources and the Environment Committee, as well as the boards of the Financial Research Institute at University of Missouri, Grid Forward, and Institute for Regulatory Law & Economics.

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 a complaint related to transportation, call 217-782-6448.

Illinois e-News Release

Illinois Senate Confirms Ann McCabe as ICC Commissioner

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