Village Begins Community Education on Electric Aggregation

The has started to publicize its November ballot question on electric aggregation.

On Friday, the village issued a news release to area media announcing the inclusion of the referendum on the ballot.

on the ballot question earlier this month. The village board began discussing whether it should pursue aggregation in 2011 and in July 2012 approved placing the question on the ballot.

The referendum question will ask voters if the Village of Glen Ellyn should be given the authority to seek competitive pricing for the supply of electricity for residential and small business customers, the village said in its news release.

The question asks voters:

Shall the Village of Glen Ellyn have the authority
 to arrange for the supply of electricity
 for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?

Aggregation allows communities to use the collective bargaining power of residents to negotiate for lower power prices from suppliers, according to the Citizens Utility Board. 

“It’s been shown by other communities that have gone through the process that you are able to obtain lower electric rates than residents are currently paying and also provides the option to look at green energy options,” Assistant to the Village Manager, Kristen Schrader has said. 

More than 250 local government agencies around Illinois have proposed a municipal electric aggregation program for their communities, the village said.

“Through an aggregation program, ComEd would still deliver electricity through its infrastructure but an alternative electricity supplier would supply electricity at a discounted rate,” the news release said. “Residents and small businesses in other communities have seen significant monthly savings through aggregation programs.”

Illinois law allows municipalities and counties to purchase electricity on behalf of residents and small-business consumers, according to the Illinois Citizens Utility Board. Municipalities choosing aggregation negotiate the price of power from a supplier other than a traditional utility, but the utility company is still responsible for delivering that power to homes, and billing consumers for it. 

If voters approve the ballot measure, the village would will approve a plan of governance and seek electric rate proposals from licensed as alternative suppliers in Illinois, according to the village.

Residents who wish to learn more about electric aggregation can find information on the Village of Glen Ellyn's website. 

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