Environment also a factor on ballot

I applaud the Daily Herald for recommending a YES vote on the Electricity Aggregation (CCA) referendum in the many communities who will have it on the March 20 ballot.

They correctly characterize it as a “classic no brainer” decision that will offer an opportunity to lower residents’ rates without sacrificing reliability and convenience.

But what the paper didn’t mention and most village officials aren’t focused to is that CCA is about more than just lower rates. It also empowers village officials to also seek quotes for locally sourced, clean, renewable electricity.

Unfortunately, few villages are even considering this. This is important because we all know that our conventional energy supply is a major contributor to CO2 and pollution emissions.

With headlines filled with tragedies associated with extreme weather all around our state and country, we cannot ignore any opportunity given us to lessen the causes.

Greenhouse gases are trapping energy in our environment at unprecedented levels which in turn is released in the form of heat and other means such as more severe hurricanes and a record number of tornados among other events.

We need to ask ourselves how long are we going to tolerate this and ignore opportunities to mitigate the causes.

As our electricity bill temporarily shrinks slightly, our insurance bills, tax bills, and doctors bills will increase permanently. I urge residents of any community with a CCA referendum to communicate to your village officials to request a 100 percent clean electricity source option in their CCA plan. It costs nothing for them to obtain a quote and then offer residents the additional choice.

All we are asking is give us the additional choice of selecting the best value product. This also is a “classic no brainer”.

Peter Gorr, Executive Committee

Northwest Cook County Group

Sierra Club

Palatine