Consider carefully

I am writing in response to Sen. DeWitte’s October column on a new electrical power contract being considered by the St. Charles City Council. As a reminder, the new IMEA contract under review is a 20-year contract, effective from 2035 to 2055, and is valued at over $800 million in today’s dollars for St. Charles.

It is a sound business decision to evaluate this contract in light of where the energy market is today and is forecasted to be in the next five to 10 years. Requiring competitive bids is also financially responsible and reasonable.

In regard to reliability and sustainability, Sen. DeWitte claims that IMEA provides both. There is nothing sustainable about coal-fired energy. IMEA’s current energy mix is 80% coal, significantly higher than Illinois’ overall 16% and the nation’s 20%. Prairie State, the coal plant he mentions as being “one of the most efficient and well controlled facilities in the county”, is also the #1 polluter in Illinois and #12 nationally. Think about that.

IMEA is not the source of our reliability. The reliability of St. Charles’ electrical supply is provided by the grid operator, PJM, and the excellent operation and maintenance of the cities electric infrastructure by the St. Charles Publics Works Department.

I agree with Sen. DeWitte that St. Charles, as well as Naperville and Winnetka, must deliberate thoughtfully before making a decision. The best way to take control of our destiny is to evaluate all options available to us to ensure the best possible outcome.

Debi Mader

St. Charles