To help drum up funding for energy-efficient projects in the area, Vernon Township is launching an energy resilience commission where officials, villages and other taxing bodies will look for ways to reduce the area’s carbon footprint.
The aim of the commission, according to material from its first meeting on Dec. 12, is to find green projects and initiatives that can reduce the carbon footprints of those involved and find more sustainable energy sources. To do this, the commission will be looking for various grants as its funding source.
Some example projects include installing renewable energy sources like wind turbines and solar panels. Electric vehicles with more charging stations are another option.
Before the commission can launch into such grant processes, officials are looking to have an energy consultant provide feedback for the taxing bodies about how they can better approach going green.
Jonathan Altenberg, supervisor for Vernon Township, said consulting will take place in two parts. One will be an energy consulting company working with individual government bodies to assess what energy needs they have, and how they can become greener. The other side of it will be conducted by the University of Illinois, which will look more on the community side of things, Altenberg said.
After that, the commission will be able to look at grants, officials said.
Altenberg said the previous approach of individual communities seeking grants for projects created a “patchwork” of effort. Altenberg said getting grants can be long and complicated, and many taxing bodies have a hard time writing and receiving them.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to form a consortium?” Altenberg told Pioneer Press. “A power of numbers of pulling everybody that’s within the township’s borders … together and work together with a joint purpose.”
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To pair with this, finding grants will allow for projects to be funded without saddling taxpayers with the cost, Altenberg said.
The village of Vernon Hills is one of the entities that has been invited to join. Village Manager Kevin Timony said at the village’s Jan. 4 meeting the commission will look at federal funds that could become available due to the federal government’s Build Back Better plan.
However, Timony cautioned at the meeting that the federal government’s plan has “taken a side turn” since the village’s December meeting, leaving funding opportunities a little more up in the air.
“Our goal at this point is to see if there’s any … opportunities as a group and go from there,” he said at the meeting. “So, more to come.”
State Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, has also been invited. He told Pioneer Press that having a large number of members in it can help those involved accomplish more in the realm of energy efficiency.
On that note, Didech also hit on various proposals on the state level. Didech said green energy is something in which he is heavily involved personally and he expects to help act as a conduit between the commission and the state. He added that he thinks it will take everyone on the local, state, national and international levels getting involved to make significant progress on the issue.
“I think we need an all-of-the-above solution (for climate change and clean energy),” Didech said. “And part of that is making sure our local governments and communities have those resources, too.”
Lisa Hessel, president of the Board of Education for Community High School District 128, which has also been invited, told Pioneer Press the district is hoping to get grant money from the federal government’s infrastructure bill from last year.
“D128 is committed to reducing our carbon footprint, and has taken steps to invest in green energy projects,” Hessel said in an email. “So partnering with public bodies in the community to expand our efforts will hopefully allow us to have an even bigger impact.”
The commission will meet again later in January, where officials hope the member roster will become final. Others who have been invited include Hawthorn School District 73, the Lake County Board, state Rep. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, and several other villages.
On his hopes for who joins, Altenberg stressed that there is no financial commitment needed from these entities and officials.
“We’re working with folks who want to do what’s good for the community,” he said. “Getting involved in it, why wouldn’t you? There’s no harm, no foul.”