Within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, subject to appropriation, the Commission shall establish an Office of Retail Market Development and employ on its staff a Director of Retail Market Development to oversee the Office. The Director shall have authority to employ or otherwise retain at least 2 professionals dedicated to the task of actively seeking out ways to promote retail competition in Illinois to benefit all Illinois consumers.
The Office shall actively seek input from all interested parties and shall develop a thorough understanding and critical analyses of the tools and techniques used to promote retail competition in other states.
The Office shall monitor existing competitive conditions in Illinois, identify barriers to retail competition for all customer classes, and actively explore and propose to the Commission and to the General Assembly solutions to overcome identified barriers. The Director may include municipal aggregation of customers and creating and designing customer choice programs as tools for retail market development. Solutions proposed by the Office to promote retail competition must also promote safe, reliable, and affordable electric service.
On or before July 31 of each year, the Director shall submit a report to the Commission, the General Assembly, and the Governor, that details specific accomplishments achieved by the Office in the prior 12 months in promoting retail electric competition and that suggests administrative and legislative action necessary to promote further improvements in retail electric competition. On or before July 31, 2021 and each year thereafter, the report shall include the information submitted to the Commission pursuant to paragraph (iii) of subsection (a) of Section 16-115A.
220 ILCS 5/20-110