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Institute for Regulatory Policy Studies

2026 IRPS Conference

Managing Growth, Reliability, and Affordability: The Future of Utility Regulation in Illinois

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 1:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 7:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

All times are Central Standard Time

Location: President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, 701 E. Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62701

Agenda

      Tuesday, October 20

Welcome

1:00pm

Dimitrios Nikolaou, Executive Director, Institute for Regulatory Policy Studies, Illinois State University

Keynote Address

1:15pm

Topic: TBD

Keynote Speaker: TBD

Session 1

1:45pm

Infrastructure Reality Check: Transmission, Natural Gas, and the Interdependence Problem

This session examines whether Illinois’ electric, natural gas, and water infrastructure planning processes remain adequate for a future characterized by increasing demand, extreme weather, interdependent utility systems, and reliability challenges. The discussion focuses on coordination gaps, infrastructure investment, resilience, and accountability.

  • Gas–electric coordination during winter peaks and extreme weather.
  • Transmission delays, interconnection backlogs.
  • The role of water infrastructure in utility resilience.
  • Infrastructure siting, permitting, and public acceptance.
  • Regulatory blind spots across utility sectors.
  • Accountability when infrastructure constraints affect reliability or affordability.

Moderator:

Commissioner TBD, Illinois Commerce Commission

Speakers:   

Electricity Utility: TBD, ComEd / Ameren

Tim Hermann, Senior Vice President of Operations, Nicor Gas

Brent O'Neill, Director, Engineering Project Delivery, Illinois American Water

Consumer/Public Interest: TBD, Illinois Attorney General Public Utilities Bureau / Citizens Utility Board / Environmental Law & Policy Center

Regulator: TBD, Illinois Commerce Commission

3:30pm

Afternoon Break

Session 2

3:45pm

Load Growth Is Back: Data Centers, Large Loads, Economic Development, and Who Pays

Rapid load growth from data centers, AI applications, advanced manufacturing, and electrification is forcing utilities and regulators to revisit long-standing assumptions about planning and cost allocation. This session explores how Illinois can capture economic development opportunities while protecting consumers and maintaining transparency.

  • Firm versus speculative load forecasting.
  • Cost responsibility for large load customers.
  • Special tariffs and infrastructure agreements.
  • Economic development opportunities and risks.
  • Planning transparency and confidential agreements.
  • Water, wastewater, and electric infrastructure demands created by large developments.

Moderator:

Commissioner TBD, Illinois Commerce Commission

Speakers:    

Utility Planning: TBD, ComEd / Ameren

Economic Development: TBD, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity / Illinois Economic Development Association / Illinois Manufacturers' Association

Large Customer Perspective: TBD, Microsoft Data Center Development Team / Google Energy Strategy Team / Meta Infrastructure Development / Invenergy Industrial Development

Scott Metzger, Public Utilities Policy Counsel, Office of the Illinois Attorney General

Rebecca Losli, President, Illinois American Water 

5:30pm

End of Sessions for the Day

5:30-7:30pm

Reception

Wednesday, October 21

7:30am

Breakfast

8:10am

Welcome by German Blanco, Associate Director, Institute for Regulatory Policy Studies, Illinois State University

Session 3

8:15am

Resource Adequacy and Market Fitness: Are Current Designs Still Working for Illinois?

Illinois operates in two regional transmission organizations while pursuing ambitious state energy policies. This session evaluates whether current market structures continue to deliver reliable and affordable outcomes and examines the role of state intervention, resource adequacy planning, dispatchable generation, and grid reliability.

  • Capacity market volatility.
  • Resource adequacy under increasing renewable penetration.
  • Valuing reliability and dispatchability.
  • Future roles for nuclear, storage, and demand response.
  • State policy versus market outcomes.
  • Conditions under which state intervention may be justified.

Moderator:

Commissioner TBD, Illinois Commerce Commission

Speakers:    

Marc Keyser, Director, Central Region and Seams Coordination, MISO

Regulators: TBD, ICC Federal Policy / FERC Commissioner

Dwayne Pickett, Vice President of Clean Hydrogen Market Development, Constellation

Consumer/Advocacy: TBD, Citizens Utility Board / Illinois Attorney General / Environmental Law & Policy Center

Academic Perspective: TBD, Illinois State University / University of Illinois / Northwestern University

10:00am

Morning Break

Session 4

10:30am

Affordability, Legitimacy, and the Regulator’s Dilemma

  • Public tolerance for repeated rate increases.
  • Affordability across electric, gas, and water services.
  • Riders, trackers, and rate design.
  • Communicating tradeoffs to stakeholders.
  • Equity versus affordability.
  • Maintaining public confidence and institutional legitimacy.

Moderator:

Commissioner TBD, Illinois Commerce Commission

Speakers:    

Delmar Gillus, President, Illinois Environmental Council; Chief Operating Officer, Elevate

Chuck Rea, Vice President, Regulatory Pricing & Affordability, Illinois American Water

TBD, Ameren Illinois

Policy Perspective: TBD, Governor's Office

Regulatory Perspective: TBD, Illinois Commerce Commission

12:15pm

End of 2026 IRPS Conference

Registration is now OPEN.

If you would like to receive email notifications of our upcoming events please send your contact information (name, title, company, and email address) to irps@ilstu.edu.

Register

 

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cannot attend, cancellation must be submitted via email to irps@ilstu.edu.  A refund, less a 20% processing fee, will apply for cancellations made more than two weeks prior to the start of the conference. For cancellations made between one and two weeks prior to the start of the conference, a refund will be issued only if documentation of an emergency is submitted (the 20% processing fee still applies). Individuals who do not attend the conference (no-shows) will not be entitled to any refund. Substitutions may be made in advance by October 9 only with individuals within the same institution/company. Fees are non-transferable to future IRPS conferences.

IRPS reserves the right to cancel conferences due to the unlikely event of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a meeting is at capacity, canceled, or postponed, the Institute will refund registration fees, but cannot be held responsible for other costs or expenses, including any changes or charges assessed by airlines, travel agencies, or hotels.

Hotel Reservations

A block of rooms has been reserved for our conference with a cutoff date of September 29, 2026. There is a limited amount of rooms, please reserve your room early. 

Learn more Reserve your room

Send your contact information (name, title, company and email address) to: irps@ilstu.edu if you would like to be on the email list to receive information from the IRPS regarding these conferences.

Watch your email for announcements or check back here. CLE credits will be offered.

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