Electricity ‘pooling’ is a green move

I’m not sure suburban residents realize the great economic development and environmental improvement opportunity associated with community electricity aggregation. Aggregation is simply a process whereby a municipality “pools” most of its residential and small-business electricity demand and leverages this to negotiate lower rates. While the prime motivation is to save money, residents need to realize they can also voice their desire for higher quality electricity. I say higher quality in the sense that we have an unprecedented opportunity to reduce the sourcing of dirty and risky “brown” energy and transition to clean and safe “green” energy.

Besides the important environmental benefits, clean renewable energy offers greater long-term price stability since the fuel (wind and sunlight) is unlimited and free, greater local economic development and job creation (per dollar invested solar and wind creates 40 percent more jobs than coal and Illinois has an abundance of wind and sun), and the negative external health and environmental costs that fossil fuels have been dumping on society can start coming to an end.

I urge residents to use their voice and their vote to take a large step to a cleaner, healthier, and a more secure future. Check with your village whether a referendum on the subject will be voted on in March and, if so, plan to attend upcoming public meetings and hearings.

Peter Gorr, chair

Conservation Committee

Northwest Cook County Group

Sierra Club

Palatine