The Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday struck millions from utility rate hike requests by ComEd and Ameren in a decision officials said is meant to balance utility spending with electric grid use under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.

In two separate decisions, the ICC struck $25.4 million from ComEd’s $268.5 million 2024 rate request and $11.2 million from Ameren Illinois’ $59.6 million multi-year rate request, according to a news release.

The decision is the first in a new performance-based evaluation process designed to reconcile actual utility spending with approved investments outlined in the utility’s multi-year grid and rate plans.

“The ICC’s responsibility is to balance the interests of Illinois’ utilities and their consumers, and our new grid planning process is designed to hold the state’s largest electric utilities accountable for their performance,” ICC Chairman Doug Scott said in a news release. “The ICC’s decision today reiterates that unsupported departures from ComEd’s approved grid plan are inconsistent with the goals of the grid planning process, and it is the utility’s responsibility to prove that any adjustments made are reasonable and prudent for maintaining our power system.”

The impact of the decision on individual customers will vary based on service class and energy usage, according to the state agency.

ComEd provides service for 4 million electric customers in northern Illinois. ComEd customers can expect these costs to be offset by a $803 million rebate approved earlier this month under CEJA’s carbon mitigation credit.

Ameren Illinois serves 1.2 million electric customers in central and southern Illinois.

Thursday’s decision after an 8-month legal review struck the bulk of the overrun costs related to ComEd’s customer care and billing rollout last year, according to the ICC.

The decision also requires ComEd and Ameren to provide affordability data updates and cost benefit analyses of related grid plan projects in future rate reconciliation dockets so that plans can be evaluated in real time.

In 2024, the ICC approved both utility companies’ revised grid plan to strengthen power grid reliability, support progress toward Illinois’ clean energy goals, and hold the companies accountable for meeting the performance metrics set by the ICC.

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act subjects Ameren and ComEd to performance-based evaluations in place of a preapproved formula rate.