Opinions vary on Aurora’s green power purchase

Homes and small businesses in Aurora soon will be able to say they’re powered with 100 percent renewable energy — if they go along with an electricity aggregation program the city council recently approved.

But some residents are questioning the two-year contract with FirstEnergy Solutions, saying it’s impossible to prove the electricity that will power Aurora actually comes from renewable sources such as windmills or solar panels.

“The whole idea of the ‘green’ electricity is a scam,” Aurora resident Larry Frieders said. “We’ll have the same sources of electricity as we do now.”

FirstEnergy spokeswoman Diane Francis said that’s true, to a degree. Once electricity is generated by any source — whether it be a renewable wind farm or a nonrenewable coal or nuclear plant — it all enters the same power grid and is transported to destinations based on demand. Francis said there’s no way to separate power created by renewable sources and direct it to certain communities.

But there is a way to fund the production of renewable energy equal to a certain community’s consumption through the Renewable Energy Certificate program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Power suppliers that want to offer their customers 100 percent renewable purchase enough Renewable Energy Certificates to pay for the power the customer uses, which is what FirstEnergy will do in Aurora’s case.

“While the electricity that’s going to Aurora may not be 100 percent renewable, the renewable power that we’re buying is 100 percent equivalent to Aurora’s consumption,” Francis said.

Aurora resident Mavis Bates, founder of the Aurora Green Fest scheduled for June 9, said she applauds the city council’s decision to purchase renewable energy even though it doesn’t literally mean all the city’s power will be coming from hydropower, biomass, wind or solar sources.

“For a tiny fraction of a cent per kilowatt hour, we have stated that our intention is to support green energy,” Bates said.

But Frieders said the roundabout system of purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates to symbolize green power is nothing but a transfer of money.

“It’s really just a financial transaction that looks nice and sounds good and makes the Sierra Club people really happy,” he said “But nothing else changes.”

The city council approved the contract last week, and it will bring power to residents and small businesses at a rate of 4.71 cents per kilowatt hour. A price-match clause guarantees FirstEnergy’s price will remain below ComEd’s, and Aurora residents are expected to save an average of $300 a year on their electricity bills.

Alderman John “Whitey” Peters said he supported the contract because of the cost savings it will offer residents. Alderman Rick Lawrence also said FirstEnergy’s prices look good, but he encouraged residents and small business owners to study the program and take advantage of one of two opportunities to opt out if it doesn’t seem like a good fit.

“I just encourage all the homeowners and small business owners to make up your own mind on this,” Lawrence said. “Is it going to save some money? Sure. Is it the windfall of savings that they like to portray? No.”

City spokesman Kevin Stahr said the city is confident FirstEnergy will provide 100 percent renewable energy, especially because the Renewable Energy Certificate program is approved by the EPA.

“We have confirmed this is 100 percent renewable energy,” Stahr said. “We’re anticipating a majority of people are going to jump on the aggregation program.”