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>>> ILLINOIS UTILITIES  WANT TO

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CHARGE CUSTOMERS MORE FOR

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DELIVERING NATURAL GAS AND

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ELECTRICITY. WE  LOOK AT WHAT

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IS DRIVING THE REQUEST AND WHAT

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IT COULD MEAN FOR YOUR BILLS.

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IT MAY GO HIGHER .

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>> NATURAL GAS TO ELECTRIC ,

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THE SUBURBS , CHICAGO,

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DOWNSTATE,  CONSUMER COSTS WILL

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GO UP IF UTILITIES GET THEIR

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WAY.

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>> BETWEEN  EVERY MAJOR GAS AND

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UTILITY IN BELITTLING IS FILING

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FOR A RATE INCREASE.

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>> WHAT IS BEHIND THE INCREASE

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IS  DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK

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TO, THE COMPANY HAS THEIR

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REASONS BUT OTHERS HAVE OTHER

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THEORIES, PART OF IT  IS

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CHANGING STATE REGULATION.  IT

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IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE

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REGULATIONS. UTILITIES  CANNOT

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SET THEIR OWN PRICES.  THEY ARE

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VIRTUAL MONOPOLIES  SO THEY

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HAVE TO MAKE THEIR CASE TO

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STATE REGULATORS AND THE

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ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION

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WHO DECIDES HOW MUCH THEY CAN

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CHARGE.

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>>  HOW MANY COMPANIES ARE

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LOOKING TO CHARGE?

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>> INCREASES THAT WILL

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EVENTUALLY  LEAD TO

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DOUBLE-DIGIT ADS  ON CONSUMER

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BILLS.

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>>  THIS IS THE LARGEST GAS

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UTILITY IN THE STATE WHO SERVES

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MOST OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND

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CHICAGO ARE ASKING FOR A  $320

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MILLION INCREASE , THAT IS

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ABOUT $12 PER MONTH FOR THE

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AVERAGE CUSTOMER OR OVER $111

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PER YEAR.  THAT IS ON TOP OF

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THREE GREAT HIKES  IN JUST FOUR

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YEARS.  THAT WOULD BE  THE

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BIGGEST RATE INCREASE IN

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HISTORY.  IT WAS ONE OUT BY

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PEOPLE'S GAS  LATER .

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>> THEY ARE REQUESTING A $402

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MILLION RATE INCREASE WHICH IS

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ABOUT $12 INCREASING PER MONTH.

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BOTH COMPANIES  HAVE  -- NICOR

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SAYS OR REALIZES THE IMPACT

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THE INCREASE COULD HAVE ON

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CUSTOMERS AND DOES NOT MAKE THE

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REQUEST LIGHTLY, BUT THE RATE

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INCREASE  IS NECESSARY TO RUN

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THE BUSINESS  BECAUSE OF

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INFLATION, RISING GLOBAL

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IMPACTS THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR

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OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE

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COSTS.  PEOPLE'S GAS IS

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FOCUSING ON LIABILITY AND SAYS

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THAT THE  PEOPLE  WILL HAVE

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SAFE, RELIABLE , AND

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ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

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ENERGY THEY DEPEND UPON,

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ESPECIALLY WHEN TEMPERATURES

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DROPPED TO ZERO AND BELOW. IN A

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STATEMENT , PEOPLE'S

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DOWNPLAYED THE EFFECTS  IT WILL

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HAVE ON CUSTOMERS, SAYING  IT

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IS NOT EXPECTED TO LEAD TO A

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HIGHER BILL.  YOU MAY WONDER ,

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HOW COULD THAT BE?  THEY SAY IT

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IS BECAUSE  THE PRICE OF

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NATURAL GAS IS FORECAST  TO GO

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DOWN.  WITH THIS INCREASE  ON

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THE DELIVERY SIDE OF NATURAL

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GAS ,  PRICING WILL STAY FLAT.

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WE ARE NOT TALKING  ABOUT THE

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PRICE OF GAS AND ELECTRICITY

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ITSELF, ALL THESE COMPANIES

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CHARGE AND MAKE MONEY BY

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DELIVERING  THE ENERGY . THESE

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CHARGES HAVE TO DO  WITH THE

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COST OF DISTRIBUTION AND

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INFRASTRUCTURE , TRANSMISSION

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LINES.  THEY SAY CONSUMERS

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SHOULD BE AWARE.

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>> THIS PAST YEAR , WE SAW A

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SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN

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ELECTRICITY AND GAS.  CONSUMERS

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HAVE FELT THAT IN THEIR BILLS.

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THOSE MAY GO DOWN , THEY DO GO

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UP AND DOWN.  THEY ARE GLOBAL

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COMMODITIES AND THEIR  IS A LOT

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TO THE PRICES. WE DO NOTE  THAT

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THE DELIVERY SIDE OF YOUR BILL

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,  THEY WILL GO UP

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SIGNIFICANTLY, WHEN THE PRICE

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OF GAS SPIKES AGAIN , IT

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INEVITABLY WILL , OR THE

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ELECTRICITY PRICE  GOES UP, WE

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WILL BE HIT HARDER  BECAUSE YOU

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HAVE ALREADY INCREASED ONE SIDE

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OF YOUR BILL .

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>> Reporter:  THE COMMENT

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REQUEST  OF $1.5 BILLION

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SPREAD OVER FOUR YEARS , THAT

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WOULD AMOUNT TO $4.25 MORE PER

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MONTH ANNUALLY .  IN 2024,

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CONSUMERS WILL LOOK AT A $17

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PER MONTH INCREASE FOR JUST THE

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DELIVERY OF ELECTRICITY . THE

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COMPANY IS ALSO DOWNPLAYING

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THAT , SAYING THAT THE AVERAGE

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RESIDENTIAL BILL WOULD BE LESS

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THAN IT HAS BEEN IN OTHER

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STATES. THE CEO SAYS, THIS  IS

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NECESSARY TO DELIVER  POWER

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CUSTOMERS DEPEND ON.  BATTERY

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STORAGE  AND ADVANCED  AN

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ENERGY FUTURE THEY SAY  THE

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UTILITY BOARD IS SKEPTICAL AS

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THE DIRECTOR SAYS MAKING

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STRATEGICALLY SMART GRID

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IMPROVEMENTS CAN IMPROVE  MONEY

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IN THE LONG RUN, BUT THAT

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SHOULD NOT  MEAN THEY GET AN

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EXCESSIVE PROFIT RATE.  THEY

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WILL DO A THOROUGH REVIEW  BUT

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NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR IF THE

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UTILITY GIANTS  WANT A PROFIT

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RATE FOR SHAREHOLDERS.  THEY

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WILL SCRUTINIZE AND CHALLENGE

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WHAT IT SAYS IS EVERY PENNY THE

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COMPANY CAN JUSTIFY.  THEY SAY

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,  IN MARCH,  SOME OF THE

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FORMER TOP PONCHOS  WILL GO ON

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TRIAL  FOR THEIR ROLE  IN A

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BRIBERY SCHEME CONNECTED TO A

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FORMER  ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER,

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MICHAEL MADIGAN . THEY HAVE

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PLEADED NOT GUILTY  BUT THE

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CORPORATION ADMITTED TO THE

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SCHEME.  THEY SAID INCLUDED IN

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THE PAST IS A PROFIT INCREASE

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OF OVER 10% , THEY CALL IT A

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HEAD SCRATCHING THAT COMMENT

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IS IN POSITION TO RAISE RATES

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HIGHER THAN BEFORE AND MAKING

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AN EVEN  BIGGER PROFIT.

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>>  IT IS CRAZY THAT THEY ARE

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POSITIONED  TO DO SO WELL GIVEN

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THEIR BEHAVIOR IN THE LAST

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DECADE .

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>> HE SAYS  COMED  IS POISED TO

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MAKE OUT LIKE BANDITS.  THE

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FORMER SPEAKER MICHAEL MADIGAN

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USED THAT PHRASE TO DESCRIBE

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HOW WELL HIS ASSOCIATES WERE

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DOING  AFTER HE HAD ALLEGEDLY

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ARRANGED TO HOOK THEM UP WITH

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LUCRATIVE  JOBS AND CONTRACTS

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WITH  COMED.  THEY SAY THE

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ELECTRIC GRID DOES NEED TO BE

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MAINTAINED.  OUR CUSTOMERS

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GETTING ENOUGH BENEFIT FOR THE

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COST?  HE SAYS THE GAS PROGRAM

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HAS BEEN OUT OF CONTROL AND HAS

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NOT  -- HE SUPPORTS  THE ENERGY

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TRANSITION  FOR ELECTRIFICATION

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, HE SAYS ALL OF THE INVESTMENT

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DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MADE NOW,

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NOT LIKE EVERYONE  WILL HAVE AN

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ELECTRIC CAR WITHIN THE NEXT

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FEW YEARS.  IT WILL BE A WHILE