Author: Say No To Coal Team

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Latest Developments in Naperville’s Electricity Contract

Naperville residents have been seeing ads from IMEA, the organization that provides Naperville’s electricity, advocating that we sign a 20-year contract with them without getting any competitive bids.1 Additionally, new campaigns from pro-coal groups have encouraged Naperville to sign a contract through 2055. Some of those materials have misleading claims, so the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST), whose mission is to educate the city council, staff, and residents about local environmental issues, is providing information you can use to check misinformation.

Sources for our information are at the bottom of this note. We suggest you politely ask anyone providing information on the contract for supporting evidence.

  1. False Claim – If we don’t go with IMEA, the city would have to buy all of its power on the open market. Dozens of companies in Illinois offer electricity contracts like IMEA does.2 NEST has met with several of the companies, and they would like to bid on our power. Our city’s code recommends competitive bidding to keep prices low and the procurement process transparent.3
  2. False Claim – Naperville has paid less than the surrounding communities have paid for their electricity. Both the city-hired consultants (CJT Law)4 and NEST5 independently showed IMEA was more expensive. 
  3. False Claim – Some bonds will be paid off in 2035, so rates will decline. According to IMEA’s plans, they will start retiring part of their largest coal plant in 20386, so they will need to issue new bonds to replace the retiring capacity. IMEA’s proposed contract does not say rates will decline and has no price caps.7
  4. False Claim – IMEA will be 100% carbon-free by 2050.  According to the city’s Greenhouse Gas inventory, the energy we purchase from IMEA generated 3.5 billion pounds of pollution per year.8 The proposed contract has no commitments to clean energy,7 so any forecast of IMEA’s potential future actions is just speculation.
  5. False Claim – IMEA has modern, highly efficient operations. 86% of the electricity IMEA generates is from coal plants9 that rely on decades-old technology. No coal plant has been built in the U.S. in over a decade because of their higher operating costs.10 

NEST advocates for transparent, honest conversations about our energy situation. 

Please share this information with your neighbors and businesses, so they can make fact-based decisions on Naperville’s energy future.  

  1. City Council Energy Workshop Presentation – Page 8 https://naperville.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14545541&GUID=48C4CEFD-B5BB-460E-BF3B-8786F637CFB4 
  2. Federal Energy Information Agency – 2024 Retail Power Marketers Sales. Illinois is on pages 2 and 3  https://www.eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price/pdf/table_16.pdf
  3. Naperville Code Section Scroll Down to “1-9B-4 METHODS OF SOURCE SELECTION” https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT1AD_CH9MUFI_ARTBPUPOGU
  4. Click the City’s Energy Workshop video link. At the 1:10:45 time, CJ Law said IMEA was more expensive. https://naperville.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1327572&GUID=81238E77-DBAA-4CD1-A9E0-1C181A034461&Options=info|&Search=#
  5. Click the video link. At 2:39:39, NEST says IMEA was more expensive. https://naperville.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1327572&GUID=81238E77-DBAA-4CD1-A9E0-1C181A034461&Options=info|&Search=# Detailed analysis is on Page 48, 49, and 50 – City Council Energy Workshop – NEST Presentation. https://naperville.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14545541&GUID=48C4CEFD-B5BB-460E-BF3B-8786F637CFB
  6. Page 8 of IMEA’s presentation to the PUAB https://naperville.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13783641&GUID=9E10D73A-1AE4-4DCE-A9AA-19D0DA917101
  7. https://www.naperville.il.us/services/electric-utility/your-electric-service/imea/ at the bottom of the page, click on “Contract Extension Offer”
  8. Naperville City Manager’s Memorandum May 15, 2025, Page 5
  9. https://cleanenergynaperville.org/did-you-know/naperville-imea-sources-of-electricity/
  10. https://www.eenews.net/articles/u-s-coal-power-refuses-to-die-what-that-means-for-climate/#:~:text=The%20last%20large%20new%20coal%2Dfired%20power%20plant,solar%2C%20batteries%2C%20and%20new%2Dbuilds%20in%20coal%20communities
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Power a Better Future

This leads right into the 7:00PM meeting where City Council will vote to extend Naperville’s contract with IMEA, or not.  Come early, be part of the rally then go inside, get good seats and settle in for the meeting.

In addition to the rally and meeting, Power A Better Future is seeking signatures to a petition that City Council reject the IMEA contract, commit to a robust Climate Action Plan and transition Naperville to a clean energy future.

Sign the Petition

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City Council Vote on IMEA Contract: August 19

The stage is set for the Naperville City Council to vote at their meeting on August 19 whether to extend the IMEA contract until 2055.  Our Council members will continue to hear from pro-fossil fuel voices and we anticipate that they will be showing up to the City Council meeting the evening of the vote. We need to make sure that Council knows that those of us who support a responsible transition to clean energy and who oppose the irresponsible commitment to a coal-heavy contract that extends 30 years in the future are the strong majority of Naperville residents.

Let’s Do This
1. Come to the Council meeting at 7:00PM on August 19 and wear red.
2. Write your Council members.
3. Signup to make a public comment or written comment on August 19.  Online sign-up for a particular meeting is available once the meeting agenda is published on the City’s website, typically the Wednesday prior to the date of the meeting

Before the meeting on the 19th Power a Better Future, a student organization that is part of the Say No To Coal Consortium will hold a rally at the Municipal Center starting at 6:00.  Wear red, join the rally and feel the energy to build momentum going into that night’s city council meeting.

Looking forward to seeing you August 19.

Mary Gibson: Gibsonm@naperville.il.us
Ian Holzhauer: Holzhaueri@naperville.il.us
Patrick Kelly: KellyP@naperville.il.us
Allison Longenbaugh:  LongenbaughA@naperville.il.us
Josh McBroom: McBroomJ@naperville.il.us
Ashfaq Syed: Syeda@naperville.il.us
Scott Wehrli (Mayor): WehrliS@naperville.il.us
Benny White: WhiteB@naperville.il.us
Nate Wilson: WilsonN@naperville.il.us

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Naperville’s Long Term Energy Options

On Monday, July 28, the City of Naperville is hosting a workshop to review and discuss various priorities, key considerations and strategies for our city’s long term energy options.

The workshop is open to the public.

The Mayor, City Council and key members of the City Leadership team will receive presentations from:

  • Consultants Townsend, Pruitt and CES
  • Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force
  • The Public Utilities Advisory Board

We encourage you to attend so that your voice is heard.

NEST has requested that the city employ a process that engages with residents, promotes freedom of choice and flexibility, and prioritizes fiscal responsibility in the city’s energy procurement process.

No final action can be taken at the workshop.  The City Council will vote on the IMEA extension at the August 19 City Council Meeting.

Monday July 28 at 6:00PM
Council Chambers
400 S. Eagle Street

RSVP Here

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Naperville’s Proposed IMEA Contract: No Pricing, No Competition, No Way Out

MYTHREALITY
Selecting our current electricity provider, IMEA, to supply electricity to Naperville until 2055 is cheaper than all the other options.No one knows what IMEA will cost because their proposal has no pricing or price caps. Naperville would pay a percentage of IMEA’s costs regardless of how high the costs were. Naperville could not exit the contract before 2055 regardless of the cost.

Naperville also doesn’t know what other options would cost because it hasn’t requested bids from any other electricity suppliers.

Naperville Code1-9B-4 says, “City contracts should generally be awarded by competitive bidding unless it is a small contract, sole-sourced, or an emergency situation.”

Naperville ratepayers deserve to know cost of the options before a contract is signed.

You can find the IMEA’s contract proposal with no pricing and no way to exit before 2055 via this link: https://www.naperville.il.us/services/electric-utility/your-electric-service/imea/