Campaigning for Safer, Cleaner Energy in Chicago
Across the country, environmentalists are calling on utilities to update and reform our energy system and meet clean energy commitments. In Chicago, emissions from buildings account for roughly two-thirds of pollution contributing to climate change. To hit climate goals and protect public health, we must transition from fossil fuels to clean energy homes. However, rather than managing a transition off the gas system, the Chicago utility Peoples Gas is making that transition more expensive and difficult.
For years, Peoples Gas has used its "Pipe Replacement Program" as a blank check, ballooning costs from an initial $1.4 billion to a projected $11 billion. This wasteful spending drives up utility bills by hundreds of dollars while failing to improve safety. To meet this challenge, Illinois PIRG is working to stop the utility from doubling down on fossil fuel infrastructure and prioritize repairs, relining, and electrification.
Green Corps sent two organizers, Matt and Cypress, to elevate Illinois PIRG’s efforts by mobilizing more Chicagoans and creating the political pressure necessary to force reform. They recruited community members and student activists across the city to attend city council hearings, collect stories of those struggling with high gas bills, and demand that utility regulators prioritize people over profits.
The results are inspiring. This spring, Matt and Cypress spearheaded a grassroots outreach effort to show the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), which regulates Peoples Gas, that Chicago is ready for change. Volunteer teams collected more than 3,000 petition signatures in the middle of winter, submitted letters to the editor published in the Chicago Tribune and campus newspapers, and collected dozens of testimonials about how this issue affects individual residents.
They organized more than a dozen meetings with state legislators and alders, and they recruited dozens of attendees to a standing-room-only City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy hearing on the topic. They also educated state legislators and community members through presentations at neighborhood association meetings and “Neighbor Action Nights” for the campaign. In April, they recruited nearly 150 Chicagoans to an evening rally to protest Peoples Gas’ proposal. This event inspired media coverage across all major television stations in Chicago.
As the 2026 rate case proceeds, Peoples Gas is still pushing for massive reinvestment in old technology. But with the foundation Matt and Cypress have built, Illinois PIRG is in a stronger position than ever to advocate for a smart transition to a Chicago with safer, cleaner energy.
