Officials with Vernon Township’s Energy Resilience Commission met again Jan. 25, and are moving forward with solidifying their membership for the group in the coming weeks.
With the second meeting wrapped up, which included presentations from both the University of Illinois and energy-engineering company Veregy, officials are now tasked with going back to their respective boards to see if there is an interest in joining the commission permanently.
In previous weeks, officials with the township have stressed the low risk of joining the commission, as there is no financial commitment.
“This is not something the township owns. I hope everybody understands that,” Vernon Township Supervisor Jonathan Altenberg said at the meeting. “We need everyone’s participation and interest here.”
Pitched as a way to help garner funds for local energy-efficient projects, the ERC will look for ways to fund more sustainable energy sources. This will include grant work, and also working with energy consultants who will look at individual communities and taxing bodies in the area to help find ways they can implement these changes.
Some ideas pitched at the meeting included programs offered by utility companies in the area, weatherization programs that improve energy efficiency in homes, or group-buying solar panels with businesses and organizations. Group-buying programs to drive costs down were something several officials said they would be interested in.
The question of formally joining the commission is set to appear on a few agendas in the coming weeks. The Vernon Hills Village Board discussed joining the commission at its meeting Feb. 1, where trustees asked to what extent the village will be on the hook for future projects.
Officials, after a presentation from Altenberg, opted to join on for the initial study, citing there was “no risk” at this time. Though, trustees remained cautious about any long-term work with Veregy.
Community High School District 128 is expected to talk about the item during their meeting Feb. 14. Lincolnshire will see the item Feb. 14 as well.
Other potential members include park districts and libraries, Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, Hawthorn School District 73 and Diamond Lake School District 76. Since many at the meeting were staff members of the respective entities, a few people said they will need to take the item back to their boards to get proper approval.
What will come next after the roster is finalized are meetings with those entities that are interested in joining and Veregy, who will then look at what kind of energy projects are feasible and collect data. Next, Veregy will eventually deliver a feasibility study later this year that will detail costs and grants for each entity.
“We’ll put (taxing entities) in a position to be ready to actually apply for these grants and incentives that are becoming available,” Danielle Melone with Veregy said at the meeting.
Some officials brought up concerns about data being potentially available via the Freedom of Information Act, which would limit what information can be redacted from such a request. Officials with Veregy said the data they need for the feasibility study is requested, not required.
More Top Picks Best Construction Lasers For Site Layout
Altenberg also said that despite the feasibility study and data gathered, no entity is required to work with Veregy and are open to bidding out their own projects down the road. He also said that members should try to get an answer in the next couple weeks on membership since grant opportunities will soon be coming open.
“You lose that element of being first to the table, so we want to try to keep that process going,” Altenberg said.