City should insist on energy assessment

The League of Women Voters of Naperville was happy to see that the Illinois Municipal Energy Agency (IMEA) contract is getting publicity (see the March 26 article), but dismayed to see that Naperville relies on coal for 80% of its electricity as supplied by IMEA. The League has a strong environmental policy that includes support for “Action by appropriate levels of government to encourage the use of renewable resources and energy conservation through funding for research and development, financial incentives, rate-setting policies and mandatory standards.” The Naperville City Council is the level of government that will decide who the city’s energy supplier is and where that energy comes from after 2035.

Our city government will decide whether our community continues to receive its energy from expensive, dirty coal with a portfolio of resources that is one of the dirtiest in the state or to insist that the city’s next electricity supplier (whether IMEA or another supplier) chooses to plan for future changes in energy markets in order to protect ratepayers — both home and business owners.

IMEA is currently exempt from integrated resource planning, but the city should insist on a supplier that uses this process that involves a transparent assessment of demand and supply resources to meet electricity needs at the lowest cost while meeting reliability requirements.

A legislative proposal, HB5021, would create the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Planning and Transparency Act requiring all electric cooperatives, like IMEA, to file an integrated resource plan. The League of Women Voters supports HB5021. We encourage Naperville residents to monitor and support HB5201.

Susan Craighead, President

The League of Women Voters of Naperville