Rosemont voters to weigh in on electric aggregation
Rosemont will be asking residents for the authority to negotiate a lower electricity rate with a private energy supplier, other than ComEd, to supply homes and businesses.
The Rosemont village board recently approved placing a referendum question on the Nov. 6 ballot for electric aggregation. If approved by voters, all residents and businesses will be switched from ComEd to the alternate supplier, unless they opt out of the program.
ComEd still delivers the electricity through its existing infrastructure, but the source of the power changes with a new supplier. The electricity usage portion of a utility bill makes up about two-thirds of the total. ComEd’s cost of delivering power will not change.
Illinois opened up the electricity market for municipalities to negotiate contracts for their residents in 2010. The goal is to save consumers money by giving local governments the option of using bulk purchasing power.
It led to a trickle of ballot questions in 2011 with municipalities seeking voter approval to launch the aggregation process, that turned into a flood in March.
A consortium of seven North and Northwest suburbs opted to go with Chicago-based Integrys Energy Services as its electricity supplier after receiving voter approval in March. It will save 260,000 residents 42 percent on their energy supply costs over ComEd’s current rate.
By 2013, ComEd’s own energy supply price is expected to drop and reflect the current market rate. Schaumburg will seek voter approval for electric aggregation in November.