By Amanda Pankau, Prairie Rivers Network and Scott Allen, Citizens Utility Board
It’s a question gaining momentum across Illinois: will communities like Naperville, St. Charles, and Winnetka lead the charge toward a coal-free future? On January 21, over 200 people gathered at the Naperville City Council meeting, asking their council to “Say No to Coal.” The next evening, over 90 people gathered in a St. Charles community center to discuss the future of their city’s coal-fired power supply. Last fall, a similarly energized crowd gathered in Winnetka to debate the same pressing issue.
What’s at stake? These three municipalities—and 29 others—co-own the massive Prairie State Coal Plant, one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the country. Their involvement stems from long-term contracts with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA), which have kept them locked into coal dependency. Now, IMEA is pushing for a 20-year extension on these contracts—binding these communities to coal power until 2055. The clock is ticking, with IMEA asking for decisions by April 30, 2025. While 24 municipalities have already signed, Naperville, St. Charles, Winnetka, and five other towns are holding out, raising serious questions about the environmental and economic impacts of such a deal.
The Prairie State Coal Plant represents a significant challenge for these communities. While coal was once a cornerstone of affordable energy, the landscape has changed. Renewable energy and battery storage technologies are rapidly advancing, offering cleaner, cost-effective alternatives. IMEA, however, has yet to provide a clear plan for transitioning away from coal. Instead, it’s asking municipalities to double down on an energy source that is both economically risky and environmentally damaging.
How does IMEA intend to replace its coal portfolio? What is the most cost effective way to replace that portfolio? How can battery storage be deployed, and by how much will that reduce the need for generation? These are questions that communities like Naperville, St. Charles, and Winnetka are demanding answers to before signing any long-term agreements.
There are major economic and environmental factors, unanswered questions, and lack of planning that have municipalities rightfully concerned about the IMEA early-contract renewal. IMEA is asking its members to fully commit to them for decades, but they haven’t shown their members how they intend to deal with massive disruptions that are just around the corner. Instead, IMEA prefers short-term planning, but where does that leave a municipality that needs to be prepared for the distant future?
Action Needed at the Local and State Level
Robust grassroots efforts in each of these three communities are underway, seeking to limit their community’s dependence on coal and stop the IMEA early-contract renewal. Prairie Rivers Network, our partners at the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, state elected leaders, and community members are also pushing for state legislation that will increase transparency and accountability of municipally owned electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives.
First, let’s take a brief look at each of the local efforts, and then at what is happening in the Illinois state legislature this coming session.
Naperville – A coalition of local groups – including the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST), the League of Women Voters of Naperville, First Congregational UCC Naperville, Accelerate Climate Solutions and Green Scene North Central College – has launched the “Say No to Coal Consortium.” At the January 21 city council meeting, advocates called for greater transparency and a rejection of the IMEA contract extension.This January 22 Chicago Tribune article provides a great overview of the most recent city council meeting and the status of the looming coal-fired power contract decision in Naperville. For those looking to get involved in Naperville, please visit NEST’s website here.
St. Charles- Community advocates in St. Charles are pushing for a “bright future”, one free of polluting coal-fired power. Efforts in St. Charles are led by Tri-Cities Clean Energy. The attendees of the January 22nd St Charles event were given a Call to Action, as well as a list of several questions that city council members need to ask about the contract. For those looking to get involved in St. Charles, please fill out this form.
Winnetka- In Winnetka, residents and advocacy groups have formed the Winnetka Future Energy Coalition (WFEC) to bring attention to the high stakes of the proposed IMEA contract extension. In October, the WFEC held a public forum that was attended by about 200 people in person and online. In the wake of that event, the Winnetka Village Council agreed to hold public study sessions. The next session will be Feb.11 at 7pm. The WFEC is urging the village to delay its vote on the contract until it evaluates alternatives and considers a balanced analysis of not just future costs but also sustainability. Advocates are urging Winnetka Trustees to seek future solutions that reduce its dependence on coal and consider that the fast-changing energy landscape offers a potential for cleaner, cheaper renewable sources in the future. For those looking to get involved in Winnetka, please email WinnetkaFuture@gmail.com.
Other IMEA Communities- Advocates in many other IMEA municipalities like Highland, Mascoutah, and Rantoul fought, unsuccessfully, to oppose the early-contract renewal. Many of these communities are small and lack the resources and capacity to dig deeper into what IMEA is selling them. Five municipalities, in addition to Naperville, St. Charles, and Winnetka, have yet to sign the early-contract renewal, and they include Cairo Public Utility, Carmi, Fairfield, Ladd, and Peru.
State Legislation to Increase Transparency and Require Planning
While these local battles unfold, state legislators are gearing up to tackle the larger systemic issues. Representative Janet Yang-Rohr and Senator Laura Elman are championing a bill this spring to require municipal electric utilities and rural cooperatives to adopt integrated resource planning (IRP) and adopt practices to increase accountability and transparency.
Integrated resource planning is a standard utility practice that involves a comprehensive study of all energy options. These plans use modeling to look 15-20 years into the future and test which options are most cost effective for ratepayers. They’re updated every few years to account for new technology and market conditions. Illinois requires appropriate planning for the state’s investor-owned utilities, and the Illinois Power Agency, but no such requirements exist for municipal and co-op electric utilities.
The Illinois state legislature will convene for their 2025 legislative session on January 28.
This legislation will also be part of a larger package, the Clean and Reliable Grid Act (CRGA), which seeks to modernize Illinois’ energy sector by promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and battery storage. With two pathways for passage — a standalone bill in the House and inclusion in CRGA in the Senate — the future of Illinois energy policy could hinge on this critical legislation.
Stay tuned for ways you can take action to support these legislative efforts in Springfield!
