The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Illinois State Director Noah Finley recently submitted a letter to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) regarding its Future of Gas proceedings, a series of workshops looking at current and future natural gas usage in Illinois.

As noted on the ICC website, the proceedings are “to explore issues tied to decarbonization of the gas distribution system, including how the gas system may need to adapt.” The ICC plans to use the Future of Gas workshops to “develop recommendations for any future Commission action and any necessary legislative changes.”

Phasing out or banning natural gas use, as pushed by some radical groups, could have serious implications for Illinois’ small business community.

The letter to the Illinois Commerce Commission reads:

Illinois Commerce Commission:

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the largest small-business advocacy organization in Illinois and the nation, representing approximately 10,000 small-business owners in Illinois alone. NFIB member businesses are independently owned and reflect the diversity of Illinois’ small-business community, including small businesses in retail, construction, transportation, hospitality, professional services, manufacturing, and agriculture.

Inflation and rising costs consistently rank as the #1 small-business issue in NFIB’s monthly Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) surveys. Higher energy prices have contributed to those rising costs, imposing a significant burden on Illinois small businesses and reducing their ability to grow, invest, and innovate.

Not surprisingly, in a recent survey of NFIB members in Illinois, a staggering 98% of small-business respondents indicated opposition to the phasing out or banning of the use of natural gas in the state. For many small businesses, natural gas is the most cost-effective way to power their operations. Others in specialty occupations, such as hospitality and agriculture, utilize equipment reliant upon natural gas.

Main Street businesses are nervous about the costs of a state-mandated decarbonization campaign. Many of the presenters during Phase 2A of the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Future of Gas Workshops noted or implied that decarbonization policies will lead to higher end-user costs, a heavier taxpayer burden to shoulder incentive/subsidy costs, or a combination of the two.

After years of inflationary policies, small businesses need price stability. Decarbonizing Illinois’ energy market on an artificial and bureaucratic timeline will make it more expensive to do business in Illinois and will siphon money and resources away from Main Street communities. A diverse energy portfolio permits Illinois to stabilize energy markets and maintain lower costs for consumers and small businesses.

On behalf of Illinois’ small-business community, NFIB requests the Illinois Commerce Commission to consider the costs imposed on Main Street businesses by any policies that could limit or ban the use of natural gas in Illinois.

Sincerely,

Noah Finley

NFIB Illinois State Director