HUNTLEY – On March 20, Huntley residents will vote on whether the village will solicit bids to find lower electricity-supply rates than those currently offered.
By July 1, the Village hopes less electrical cost will run through these power lines seen here at Main and Haligus. (Photo by Mason Souza/Sun Day)
A referendum will be included on the primary ballot that gives residents the option to be included in the Northern Illinois Governmental Electric Aggregation Consortium.
If approved, Huntley would join up to 12 other communities in the consortium by aggregating residents and small businesses together to receive bids from power suppliers. Independent Energy Consultants will be in charge of soliciting the bids.
Suppliers purchase power from generators – the companies in charge of generating power. In turn, suppliers sell power to distributors like ComEd, who operate grids that bring power to homes. If a new supplier is found, the generator and distributor remain the same.
Though the final savings will only be known after bids are received, Barb Read, Huntley’s deputy FOIA officer, said the estimated savings based on recent studies are about 23 percent.
Cities of: Genoa, Marengo, McHenry, and Woodstock,
Villages of: Algonquin, Huntley, Johnsburg, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, McCullom Lake, Ringwood, and Spring Grove
For more information, visit www.huntley.il.us
“If the referendum passes and we go out to bid for the supply companies, if their numbers come in and they’re nothing to brag about, we do not have to move forward with anything. We can keep everything the way it is,” Read said. “That’s one goal; we want to make sure that it will make a substantial difference.”
If the village does find a new power source, residents will still have two opportunities to opt-out of the changes and go back to receiving power from a ComEd-appointed supplier.
“There is nothing that the passage of this referendum will force anybody to do that would cost them more money,” Read said. “And if they choose not to save money if we get way cheaper rates, then that’s their option too.”
Read said a misconception some have about the plan is that their service will change. As a distributor, ComEd is still responsible for servicing homes during power outages. ComEd will also still be sending bills to residents. The aggregation process does not affect ComEd financially.
If the referendum is passed, two public informational meetings will be held on April 5 and 12, both at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Complex at 1987 Main St. The village is also hosting an open house on March 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Municipal Complex for residents to learn more about the referendum.
Read said if the referendum passes, residents can expect to see changes by the time they turn on their air conditioning.
“We are hopeful that by July 1, during the heat of summer, we will start receiving better rates,” she said.
