Jenna Dooley: You’re listening to WNIJ. I’m News Director Jenna Dooley with environment reporter Jess Savage.
Naperville is one of a few dozen communities that receives their electricity through a co-operative agency. The city’s contract is set to expire in 2035, but the agency is asking them to sign on until 2050. Jess, can you explain what’s going on in Naperville?
Jess Savage: Right. The Illinois Municipal Electric Agency manages the energy profile of communities like Naperville. These communities collectively own power sources, like solar, wind and coal projects. They all, including Naperville, have partial ownership of two coal power plants in southern Illinois and Kentucky, and they receive about 70% of their electricity from these plants.
JD: Walk us through why this contract extension has been so controversial.
JS: There is a lot of opposition to this contract wholesale. Students led a protest outside the building leading up to the meeting, arguing that coal has no place in Naperville.
The Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force, or NEST, and other activists have been working against this contract extension for years. They’re asking for the city to look at other options beyond IMEA, plus more opportunities for public input and time to decide. Here’s Ted Bourlard during public comments. He’s part of NEST’s leadership team.
"A decision of this magnitude is too important to be made with only a few voices at the table. We believe the wider community must be part of the process so all these questions and more can be answered.”
JD: So what was decided at the meeting?
JS: The council voted 7-2 to keep trying to work on this issue. In other words, they did not vote to sign the contract as is. And the mayor proposed major changes to it. Other council members suggested additional amendments, which will be voted on at the next meeting.
JS: Some residents want to stay with IMEA, arguing that it’s a stable source of energy. IMEA’s vice president of member services, Staci Wilson, told me why they’re looking to extend contracts.
“As our thermal resources are as they expire in the future, we would want to be replacing them with new renewable or carbon free resources. We need these extensions to be able to procure and to position our portfolio into the future.”
JD: What else stuck out to you at the meeting this week?
JS: I was struck by the level of engagement in the room. Dozens of people spoke in the public forum, many of them expressing gratitude for the work city council’s doing on this issue. But there was a tense moment when councilman Josh McBroom accused NEST of being disrespectful and overly political.
(AUDIO CLIP)
McBroom: If it was up to me, you would be stripped of your task force status at the city and, at the very minimum, you would owe an apology to the mayor and our professional city staff.
Gavel raps
VOICE: Councilman, you are out of order.
It was the only time the gavel had to come down. NEST did not respond to request for comment about this exchange.
Additional resources:
Naperville City Council Notes
Say No to Coal Website
Proposed Contract Amendments
