{
  "id": 18571507,
  "title": "Illinois approves American Water, Essential Utilities merger",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/illinois-approves-american-water-essential-utilities-merger",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-06T21:20:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Investing.com",
    "slug": "investing-com",
    "url": "https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/illinois-approves-american-water-essential-utilities-merger-93CH-5009190"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Illinois Commerce Commission has granted approval to the proposed merger between American Water Works Company and Essential Utilities. This marks the fourth regulatory commission to approve the transaction, following approvals from Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. The companies have reached settlement agreements in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, and New Jersey, though these are still subject to review and approval by their respective public utility commissions. The waiting period for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act expired on August 14, 2026. Shareholders of both companies had previously approved the transaction earlier in the year. The all-stock merger was announced on October 27, 2025. Upon completion, the combined company will serve over 4.7 million water and wastewater customer connections, as well as more than 740,000 natural gas customer connections. The new entity will operate under the American Water name, with headquarters remaining in Camden, New Jersey. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, contingent on customary closing conditions and all remaining regulatory approvals. Currently, American Water serves approximately 14 million people across 14 states and 19 military installations, while Essential Utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands, serves around 5.5 million people in nine states.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}