Illinois Commercial Electricity & Natural Gas

Illinois Commercial Energy Market

Illinois commercial electricity averaged about 13.89¢/kWh in April 2026 (EIA), just above the U.S. average, while commercial natural gas averaged about $9.63 per Mcf, below the national average. Illinois has a mature choice market for both electricity and gas — businesses shop competitive suppliers while utilities like ComEd (northern IL) and Ameren Illinois (central/southern IL) handle delivery, along with gas utilities Nicor, Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas. Compare IL in our electricity rates by state and gas rates by state tables.

Two Grids: PJM and MISO

Illinois is split across two regional grids — ComEd territory sits in PJM, while much of downstate Illinois is in MISO. That matters because PJM's capacity costs have surged: the 2027/2028 auction cleared at the record $333.44/MW-day. ComEd-area businesses feel that capacity pressure directly, making a fixed competitive supply rate a valuable hedge. See our PJM capacity auction analysis and PJM/RTO commercial energy in Illinois.

How Illinois Energy Choice Works

Your utility delivers power and gas and handles outages; you choose a competitive licensed supplier for the supply portion. Illinois also has robust municipal aggregation, but commercial customers typically negotiate directly. If you don't shop, you pay the utility's default supply rate. See Illinois electricity deregulation guide, Illinois natural gas deregulation guide, and navigating IL energy tariffs.

How to Lower Your Illinois Energy Costs

• Solicit competitive bids and lock a fixed rate. See comparing supplier offers and negotiating with IL suppliers.
• Hedge PJM capacity with a 24-36 month term in ComEd territory. See choosing contract length.
• Manage demand and time-of-use exposure — see time-of-use pricing in Illinois and the demand charge calculator.
• Benchmark your cost per square foot with energy cost per square foot for IL businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average commercial electricity rate in Illinois? About 13.89¢/kWh (EIA, April 2026), slightly above the U.S. average. Your rate depends on your utility (ComEd or Ameren), rate class, load profile, and whether you're on the default or a competitive fixed rate.

Can Illinois businesses choose their energy supplier? Yes. Commercial customers shop competitive licensed suppliers for both electricity and natural gas supply, while ComEd, Ameren, Nicor, Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas continue delivery.

Why do ComEd-area rates face upward pressure? ComEd sits in PJM, where the 2027/2028 capacity auction cleared at a record $333.44/MW-day. Those capacity costs pass through to commercial bills; a fixed competitive rate helps hedge them.

Get a free Illinois commercial rate review. Contact us or call 833-264-7776.