Commonwealth Edison customers will pay for three nuclear power plants if a planned rate increase is approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Edison asked for a rate increase of more than $900 million last Thursday to finance the continuing operation of three nuclear power plants already in operation, said Jose Andrade, Commonwealth Edison Corp. representative.

The power plants consumers will pay for are the second reactor in Byron and both of the reactors in Braidwood, Andrade said.

The three power plants have been in operation for a combined total of 82 months, Andrade said.

“The Illinois Commerce Commission is still deciding how to handle the Illinois Supreme Court decision that rejected our last rate increase. The rate is still in effect even though the ICC calls it illegal,” he said.

A family of four using about 500 kilowatts of power each month would see a $12 increase in their bill, Andrade said. A single person living in an apartment using about 250 kilowatts would see a monthly increase of $5, he said.

“The Northern Illinois area has the necessary generating capacity to last till the next century and beyond that,” Andrade said.

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) will fight the increase, said Susan Stewart, CUB executive director.

There will be hearings for the next 11 months before the ICC makes its decision, Stewart said. The ICC has those eleven months to reject, approve or modify the rate increase, she said.

“If the ICC approves the increase, we will go to court and try for a refund. We think it’s too high and illegal,” Stewart said.

Edison is ready for CUB and their attack. “We expect that the Citizens Utility Board will oppose the rate increase,” Andrade said.