In a move seen by many as a political power play, the operator of Sears Tower and the subsidiary of a small Peoria-based energy company on Monday formally asked the state’s utility regulatory commission to allow them to generate power apart from Commonwealth Edison Co.
The proposal asks the Illinois Commerce Commission for permission to build a $10 million power system that boosters say would provide lower cost electricity to Sears Tower.
Tower Leasing, the operator of Sears Tower, and QST, a subsidiary of Central Illinois Light Corp., need the delivery system of wires and cables owned by Edison in order to distribute the power the new system would produce, but Edison has rejected requests to provide that service.
The John Buck Co., the management company for Sears Tower, and QST contend that is a violation of the state public utilities act. The complaint filed Monday asks the regulatory agency to order Edison to allow the use of its facilities and to provide backup power.
The plan comes at the same time that deregulation legislation to introduce competition into the electric industry is being hashed out in Springfield. Edison officials maintain that the QST plan is unnecessary since deregulation will allow the Sears Tower tenants to choose their own electric suppliers in the near future.
