The Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force will ramp up efforts to push the city’s electric consortium away from coal in favor of more carbon-free energy sources.
Known as NEST, the organization recently met with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, a nonprofit governmental entity that oversees the delivery of electricity to more than 30 member communities, including Naperville, St. Charles and Winnetka.
NEST Vice Chairman Carl Van Dril told NEST members this week the purpose of the meeting was to start a constructive dialogue with IMEA so Naperville can secure a sustainable future for how it obtains its electricity.
The problem, NEST members say, is that for Naperville to reduce its carbon footprint, IMEA needs to become less reliant on coal.
“One of the biggest challenges that we have as an organization must be to reduce our greenhouse gases and make the planet a better place for everybody,” Van Dril said. “Coal belches CO2 into the atmosphere at a very high rate, higher than any other energy source available, even other fast fossil fuels.”
Van Dril said the bulk of IMEA’s portfolio of generated and purchased power is from coal, 45% from Prairie State Generating Co. and 23% from Trimble County Generating Station.
Another 21% comes from long-term coal-based contracts, though IMEA’s deal with Vistra will end May 31.
Renewable energy sources account for 11% of the power — 10% is wind and 1% solar and hydro.
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What needs to change is the mentality that coal is more reliable and cost effective, Van Dril said.
In many cases, renewable energy such as wind and solar are cheaper in total to buy, build and run than coal, nuclear and natural gas.
To move away from coal to clean energy requires setting specific, measurable targets, and Van Dril said NEST will collaborate with the city and IMEA to establish a series of benchmark goals.
NEST Chairwoman Cathy Clarkin said NEST’s Sustainable Naperville 2036 report is a 15-year vision that recommends incremental transitioning.
“We have a contract with IMEA that goes through 2035, which is part of the reason that we named our report Sustainable Naperville 2036,” Clarkin said.
One possible goal would be for IMEA, as an agent of Naperville’s power supply, to become an advocate for clean energy and seek the quickest retirement of coal, Van Dril said.
As part of the process, more fiscal transparency is needed, he said.
Naperville City Council members are hampered in their decision making because they lack the knowledge of the costs and operations of the coal plants the city partially owns and depends on for power, Van Dril said.
Besides continuing discussions with IMEA, NEST in the coming weeks will work with the city to connect business and public-sector groups to energy-efficiency programs offered by IMEA, he said.
Commercial, industrial and public-sector customers served by Naperville’s electric utility can apply for funding to improve lighting, compressors, refrigeration and other projects.
The improvements can save the companies money and reduce the city’s overall electricity consumption.
Naperville already has taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint and reduce its reliance on coal.
Last year, Naperville completed the installation of 3,348 solar panels on a 4.5-acre site at Naperville’s Springbrook Water Reclamation Center on Plainfield-Naperville Road.
The system is expected to generate close to 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power 180 Naperville customers for a year.