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Residents Brave Storm to Learn About Electricity Choice

Article from the TribLocal Arlington Heights edition by Peter Gorr

Lesley McCain of Community Energy, Inc. explained consumer electricity choice and community aggregation at the recent Sierra Club Group meeting in Schaumburg

Lesley McCain of Community Energy, Inc. explained consumer electricity choice and community aggregation at the recent Sierra Club Group meeting in Schaumburg. Residents from throughout the northwest suburbs braved the first winter storm of the season to attend an informational meeting on consumer electricity choice in Illinois, which featured the topic of community aggregation. Community aggregation is a process whereby, through a voter referendum, village officials are authorized to seek better pricing and potentially clean energy by way of a bid process with electricity suppliers licensed to operate in the state. By leveraging the entire community’s residential and small-business volume of electricity consumption, a municipality can negotiate more attractive pricing as well as the source of the electricity. Over 150 communities will be voting on this important subject by way of a referendum in March. The event was sponsored by the Northwest Cook County Group of the Sierra Club and held at the Spring Valley Nature Center in Schaumburg on January 12. The featured presenter was Lesley McCain, Midwest Director of Development for Community Energy, Inc.

Peter Gorr, chair of the Group’s conservation committee, led off the evening with a brief overview of the role of electricity generation in local job creation, ratepayer price management, and environmental impact. He stressed that while the main motivation for communities that are investigating aggregation is lower price, residents have a unique opportunity to also improve the quality of electricity they receive. By quality of electricity he explained that electricity is generated from a variety of sources in Illinois such as “dirty and risky brown energy” sourced from coal and nuclear and “clean green energy” sourced from wind and solar. The process municipalities follow in considering aggregation allows the public to communicate their desires on the features such as the electricity’s origin. He demonstrated how the transition from “brown” to “green” energy is a win – win – win opportunity by providing greater local job growth and economic development, greater stability in pricing and supply, and negligible environmental impact.

Following Peter Gorr, Lesley McCain gave a comprehensive review of consumer electricity choice in Illinois, including explaining how this opportunity has come about through the state deregulation of electricity suppliers. She also walked the audience through how individual ratepayers can change their supplier immediately. She detailed the process of selecting an alternative electricity supplier, including what to watch out for in evaluating offers. Ms. McCain’s company, Community Energy, Inc., offers the state’s only all-Illinois-wind-and-solar-generated electricity program at a rate that is less than the supply currently provided through ComEd. The program is being called “Re-Power Illinois”. As of November 2011 almost a quarter million customers in Illinois have changed their supplier, and the total grows monthly according to Illinois Commerce Commission statistics.

McCain also covered the topic of community aggregation defining the concept, the process, and, if enacted, the options that will be available to residents. Some nearby municipalities have made the change providing residents with savings that can approach 25 percent. As an example of a successful program, Oak Park was mentioned as a municipality that has changed suppliers, is receiving a rate over 24 percent less, and is 100 percent green-energy sourced.

The presentation ended with a call to action that residents plan to attend the municipalities’ informational meetings to voice how they wish to see their community’s program develop. Meetings are starting in February prior to the referendum and, should referendums pass, public hearings will be held prior to accepting bids. More information can be obtained from individual village websites and from the Sierra Club Illinois Chapter.

Peter Gorr can be reached at @pagorr.