The Office of Retail Market Development (ORMD) was created pursuant to Public Act 094-1095 because the
Illinois General Assembly recognized that in order "for Illinois consumers to receive products, prices and terms
tailored to meet their needs, a competitive wholesale electricity market must be closely linked to a competitive
retail electric market."
The Act states that "a competitive retail electric market does not yet exist for residential and small commercial
consumers. As a result, millions of residential and small commercial consumers in Illinois are faced with
escalating heating and power bills and are unable to shop for alternatives to the rates demanded by the State's
incumbent electric utilities. The General Assembly reiterates its findings from the Electric Service
Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 that the Illinois Commerce Commission should promote the development of
an effectively competitive retail electricity market that operates efficiently and benefits all Illinois consumers."
The Act directs the Office of Retail Market Development to "actively seek input from all interested parties and to 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."