Community members filled the council chambers at Tuesday night’s Naperville City Council meeting to voice concerns about Naperville’s potential contract extension with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA).
They gathered as the “Say No to Coal” consortium, which included residents and members from the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST), the League of Women Voters of Naperville, First Congregational UCC Naperville, Accelerate Climate Solutions, Green Scene North Central College, Congregation Beth Shalom, Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and Putting the Public Back in Public Power.
Nearly 20 people spoke at the meeting with an additional seven written statements submitted in agreement with the group.
“Our energy provider, IMEA, has a contract extension that they want the city council to vote on. Their deadline was April. So we wanted to get in front of it to make sure that we could have our voice heard for city council, to share our feelings that it’s not a good deal, it’s not a good contract extension, and Naperville wants a more modern energy mix,” said Fernando Arriola, Community Relations Chair for NEST.
Naperville’s contract with IMEA
The city began purchasing electric power from IMEA back in June 2011. The current contract runs through 2035, but IMEA officials are seeking a 20-year extension to 2055.
According to the city’s website, IMEA has presented all of its members with a contract extension offer because the agency needs to know which members will remain with the group in 10 years in order to plan energy needs and transition from carbon-emitting resources.
IMEA is asking the city to decide on the contract extension by April 30, which has raised concerns from some community members.
“The energy industry is going through this unbelievable technological change, marketplace change, regulatory situation is uncertain, and they want to sign a 30-year deal in an industry that’s changing rapidly. IMEA is not a well-suited partner for something that’s going through a lot of change, because basically, they sign long-term deals with municipalities, which kind of makes them operate somewhat like a monopoly,” said Arriola.
Some council members acknowledged the need for caution when considering the extension.
“I also want to reassure you that I know, from at least myself and I believe from many others I’ve heard up here, that we’re not allowing IMEA to dictate the timeline as to our processes here, that we’re going to follow all of the proper processes to make sure that we can make a decision that’s best for our community as a whole,” said Councilwoman Jennifer Bruzan Taylor.
Concerns over the environmental impact of burning coal
In addition to opposing the early contract extension, community members raised concerns about the continued use of coal as an energy source.
“There’s two main environmental impacts. One is the community where we’re burning coal, it emits toxins into the air, which isn’t healthy for the people who live around that coal plant. So it’s just bad for the environment, not to mention the wildlife and other factors. The second thing is greenhouse gases. We’re putting more greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming, and we’ve seen all the dangers that climate change brings,” said Arriola.
Speakers from “Say No to Coal” urged the city to pursue greener energy alternatives.
“Green energy is undeniably growing as solar is becoming more efficient and affordable, and nuclear, geothermal, and hydro are all poised to grow and strengthen in the future. Therefore, there is no urgent need to extend our reliance on coal, and taking the time to make a more informed decision when these more competitive options become prevalent is a better way to proceed,” said Vallabh Arun, Waubonsie Valley High School senior.
In a memo distributed last month, Brian Groth, Naperville’s Director of Electric Public Utilities, outlined some of IMEA’s current initiatives, which include the recent adoption of a sustainability plan that sets a goal for net zero electric generation by 2050.
The roadmap includes plans to target reductions in greenhouse gases, increase renewable generation resources, and embrace changes in technologies like battery storage.
City Council members speak on alternative energy sources
Some council members raised questions about the alternative energy sources suggested by community members.
“I want to know what the cost is and usually at the end of the presentation, it involves some kind of federal grant, which to me means inflation and higher taxes. So, I’m a skeptical person in general,” said Councilman Josh McBroom.
“Similar to Councilman McBroom’s point, I do have a sincere concern with the cost and reliability of certain energies,” said Councilman Nate Wilson. “if you look at some of the greener solutions proposed, I know somebody earlier had talked about it being cheaper, however, many of those rely on subsidies, which sort of begs the question, if they rely on subsidies, how much do they really cost?”
But both said they are looking forward to exploring all options, including those that are green if cost-effective and reliable.
“I think this is a topic that there’s more agreement on it than disagreement,” said McBroom.
What’s next for Naperville’s energy utility?
To explore its options, the city hired Customized Energy Solutions (CES), a Pennsylvania-based consultant, to review Naperville’s options for powering its electric grid as it looks toward 2035.
“We’ve met with them a few times already. They’ve indicated that their report will be done by mid to late February and we have put a [Public Utilities Advisory Board] (PUAB) special meeting on the calendar in early March to discuss those options with our PUAB,” said Groth.
The report will be available in late February or early March. The city is also planning a workshop in April, with a potential second workshop in May, to allow newly seated council members to hear and discuss the report’s findings.
City Manager Doug Krieger said the timeline indicates that the next council will decide how to proceed with Naperville’s energy supply.
“That is reassuring, to know that we are not going to be forced to be voting on this in April. That is very reassuring. I, along with all of you, look forward to seeing these options given to us in the form of hopefully two workshops,” said Councilwoman Allison Longenbaugh.
Council members thanked the speakers and supporters for showing up and using their voices at the meeting.
“We’re literally in this together. We’re all part of the same community. So trying to find a path forward to working together to figure out the best result is really critical. So I appreciate the tenor of the conversation tonight,” said Councilman Patrick Kelly.
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