A pro-utility appointment

Belleville (Ill.) News Democrat: Recently, Gov. Pat Quinn was in the metro-east touting himself as a watchdog for keeping utility rates low. But you have to wonder when the day before he replaced Mark Pruitt, head of the independent Illinois Power Agency, with former Commonwealth Edison insider Arlene Juracek.

This appointment doesn’t pass the smell test for many people, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who came up with the idea of the Illinois Power Agency in the first place.

Remember the dark days of 2007 when electric rates doubled and tripled because the power companies had been deregulated and they were buying high-priced power from themselves through a reverse auction? Juracek and the utilities loved the reverse auction idea. Obviously.

The power agency was set up as an alternative to the reverse auctions, and Pruitt has done a great job for consumers, saving them an estimated $1.6 billion since 2009. We don’t understand why Quinn would replace him at all, but especially with someone who spent her career with ComEd.

Fortunately, the Senate will have to confirm Juracek. Let’s hope the senators have better sense than Quinn and say no to this appointment.