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Naperville Could Have Saved $300M with Wholesale Power Over IMEA

MythReality
If Naperville bought electricity from the market over the last 10 years it would have been significantly more expensive than our current provider, IMEA.Wholesale market prices have been lower than IMEA every year except one over the last 10 years. Naperville would have saved over $300 million during the last ten years if it had purchased wholesale power from PJM.

IMEA’s prices are higher than expected when the contract was signed because the project to build their Prairie State coal plant was billions of dollars over budget.

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Naperville’s Coal-Powered Reality: EPA Permits Don’t Mean Pollution-Free

MythReality
Coal does not cause environmental damage because they operate with a permit from EPA.Burning coal is one of the most efficient ways to put greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. Annually, the two coal plants that Naperville’s electricity provider, IMEA, co-owns create over 36 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

Those emissions contribute to the climate crisis. Clean coal electricity is a misleading marketing term because burning coal always generates pollution.

78% of Naperville’s electricity comes from burning coal.

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The Clean Energy Shift Is Already Happening

MythReality
Transitioning off fossil fuels for electricity is something no one is doing yet.In March, fossil fuels accounted for less than half of the electricity generated in America. Solar, Battery, and Wind energy are the fastest-growing sources of electricity.

Renewables are powering millions of homes in the U.S. and the transition to clean power is well understood and well underway.

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64586

https://ember-energy.org/latest-updates/fossil-fuels-fall-below-50-of-us-electricity-for-the-first-month-on

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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/

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PUAB Meeting, April 8

To see the full presentation, click here.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support The Say No to Coal Consortium on January 21st and urged our city council to “Say No to Coal!” 

We wanted to share an important update from the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST). As the Public Utilities Advisory Board finalizes its recommendation to the city on whether to extend our coal contract, it’s important to let them know that this issue remains a top priority for us. Please join us, wear red, and get ready to hear from NEST about what a clean energy future could look like in Naperville!

From Complexity to Clarity

The Public Utilities Advisory Board (PUAB) has called an April 8 Special Meeting.  As part of that meeting, PUAB has requested that The Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST) present critical factors and key considerations for Naperville’s energy future.

Previous presentations by the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) and consultants from CES have highlighted the complex technical, financial, and logistical aspects of power generation and transmission.

NEST’s presentation will expand the focus to practical discussions on risks, untapped opportunities, and the need for a thorough and transparent process. With a $2 billion, 20-year decision at stake, Naperville has the opportunity and responsibility to take a leadership stance for a modern, sustainable energy future that aligns with our community’s values and long-term vision.

This presentation is open to the public.  We encourage you to attend and look forward to seeing you there!

April 8, 2025, 5:00PM
Naperville Municipal Center
400 S. Eagle Street