ILLINOIS PUBLIC POWER NEWSLETTER #5
November 24, 2024
Welcome back to Illinois’ Public Power Newsletter, and welcome also to the new friends we’ve met over the last few months. For our new readers, this newsletter is prepared by a coalition of volunteer public power customers, consumer advocates, and environmental organizations and will share information about Illinois’ publicly-owned utilities, including municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives. If you would like information shared in future newsletters, please email Scott Allen: sallen@citizensutilityboard.org
You can find past versions of the newsletter here.
FACEBOOK PAGE
A reminder that we have a Facebook page “Putting the Public Back in Public Power” Facebook page, and we welcome the public to share information, and connect with one another here!
Other Facebook Pages to follow:
- Winnetka Future Energy Coalition
- Clean Energy Alliance of Naperville
- Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force
- Great Highland Area Concerned Citizens
- Springfield CLEAN
- Sustainable Springfield
SIGN ON LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
The Prairie State Generating Company, in partnership with the Prairie Research Institute, plans to apply for federal funding from the Department of Energy to support a Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) project at the Prairie State Coal Plant.
The decision to pursue CCS and apply for this funding was done without public education or engagement, particularly with the municipal and rural electric cooperative owners of the Prairie State Coal Plant.
You can join this sign-on letter to tell the Department of Energy (DOE) that the public has not been appropriately educated or engaged in PSGC’s plans to develop a CCS project and seek federal funding to support the effort
If you’d like to learn more about this issue you can click here for a deeper dive. Please share this email with other citizens concerned about federally funding CCS on a coal plant.
WINNETKA FUTURE ENERGY FORUM EVENT SUMMARY
On October 22, the Winnetka Future Energy Coalition hosted a community conversation featuring perspectives on Village power purchasing, the future of energy, and their generational decision regarding their power supply contract. Like the 31 other member communities of the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA), Winnetka is an investor in the Prairie State Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant in Southern Illinois and one of the nation’s largest greenhouse gas emitters. Winnetka has not yet made their decision on whether or not they will sign the 20-year IMEA contract extension, over ten years early.
You can watch the Winnetka Future Energy Forum Event on youtube at this link. The event starts at the 18:25 minute mark.
The Winnetka Future Energy Coalition is a volunteer group of Winnetka residents, formed to help raise awareness about Winnetka’s electricity options. The Coalition seeks transparency, public participation, and a full exploration of alternatives before making this critically important decision. You can subscribe to receive information from the Winnetka Future Energy Coalition at this link.
RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE SCORECARDS
The Rural Electric Cooperative Scorecard Initiative (RECSI) successfully launched the Cooperative Scorecards linked here. Launched in three different states, Prairie Rivers Network led the Illinois launch activities. The Scorecards have received over 750 unique visitors and are proving themselves a useful tool for cooperative member-owners, practitioners, and for the cooperatives. Catch up on past scorecard activity here. The Scorecards have inspired activity around organizing in cooperative footprints, with Dakota Resource Council joining RECSI. Elsewhere, grassroots organizations in Michigan and Iowa have communicated their intention to produce scorecards in 2025. The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) Muni/Co-op Working Group is exploring utilizing the cooperative scorecards as a model for scoring Illinois municipal utilities as well.
NEW GRANT COMING TO HELP PUBLICLY OWNED UTILITIES PLAN THEIR ENERGY FUTURE
The State of Illinois plans to develop a “Small Utility Clean Energy Planning Support” program to provide technical and financial assistance to municipal and co-op utilities in Illinois to help them identify a path to transition the state’s power sector to carbon-free by 2045. The funding for the support will come from the state’s successful Climate Pollution Reduction Grant award. The state of Illinois was awarded $430 million and about $2.6 million will be spent on the Small Utility Clean Energy Planning Support program over a five year period. The first grants are expected to open in Quarter 1 of 2026.
Prairie Rivers Network created this fact sheet to share what we know about this new funding opportunity.
PRESS WRAP-UP
St. Charles considers extending power contract with hesitation over coal, sustainability concerns, Kane County Chronicle, July 1, 2024.
Federal judge rules lawsuit against Metro East coal plant can move forward, St. Louis Public Radio, August 29, 2024. “A federal judge ruled a lawsuit against a Metro East coal plant can move forward, saying an environmental group’s allegations are sufficient for the case to proceed. The Sierra Club sued Prairie State Generating Co. over its operation of a coal-fired power plant in Washington County in hopes of shutting the plant down. The plant sits about 45 miles from downtown St. Louis and 30 miles southeast of Belleville. The national environmental group alleges the plant has been operating and emitting harmful air pollutants without necessary permits required by the federal Clean Air Act. The Sierra Club filed the lawsuit last year.”
Major federal funding aims to speed transition to clean energy in the rural Midwest, WBEZ, Chicago, September 10, 2024. “In Illinois, fossil fuel dependence among rural electric co-ops ranges from 53% to 89%, according to a recent scorecard report by the Prairie Rivers Network and the Citizens Utility Board. The ties between co-ops and coal aren’t just underlined by long-term contracts, but in some cases outright ownership. Several co-ops in southern Illinois have major stakes in the Lake of Egypt Coal Plant and the Prairie State Coal Plant.”
Theo Rosen Op-Ed, Daily Herald, September 30, 2024. Theo Rosen writes, “The Clean and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), passed in 2021, requires Prairie State to reduce its emissions by 45% by 2038 and close by 2045. That can’t come a moment too soon. Already, communities are paying well above market price for energy from Prairie State as the economics of coal get worse and worse. And these communities will have no way out if they extend their contracts due to restrictions that keep municipalities on the hook regardless of how expensive it is.”
They Barter and Trade to Survive, NY Times, November 1, 2024. “Ms. Potts noted that rural America was electrified through cooperatives, particularly the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which provided federal loans for local residents to band together and create rural electric cooperatives that brought electricity to areas deemed unprofitable by private utility companies.
“The people managed their own power infrastructure,” she said. “But what Kamala is trying to do is bring infrastructure, like broadband internet, to rural America through corporations.”
Co-ops Tapped to Negotiate DOE Grants or Clean Energy, Grid Projects, NRECA, May 3, 2024. Camp Point, Illinois-based Adams Electric Cooperative was selected to receive $5 million to help install a 1-megawatt wind turbine and 1-MW solar photovoltaic array to provide power to about 7,500 families in former coal mining communities in the state. The project is expected to cut energy costs by about $200,000 annually for rural co-op members in seven counties. With the award, the co-op “will be able to install very low-cost renewable energy generation for our members,” General Manager Jim Thompson said. “The grant also provides the added benefits of enhancing our educational opportunities and creating construction jobs in the community.”
KAY’S CORNER
Kay Ahaus is a longtime advocate for the environment and for energy democracy for publicly owned utilities. In each Public Power Newsletter, Kay interviews and highlights other advocates who are doing great work on the issue of public power in Illinois.
The Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST) has a purpose and vision to assist, inform, and advise Naperville’s City Council in pursuit of a sustainable, resilient, carbon-free future for Naperville. NEST formed on a cold January eve in 2018 when fifteen Naperville citizens, recruited by Jodi Trendler, gathered at the McDonald Farm. The Farm is preserved by The Conservation Foundation and was a most appropriate place to form NEST.
NEST has an Energy Committee and their main focus for the coming year will be the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) contract to generate electricity mostly from coal.
CATHY CLARKIN: Cathy Clarkin is the current Chair of NEST and, in this role, she coordinates NEST’s ten committees and is the main public face of NEST. Cathy leads NEST in the development of strategy and engagement with both elected officials and grassroots workers.
In addition, she serves as Executive Director of Accelerate Climate Solutions, a Naperville-based non-profit focused on deployment of climate solutions locally and helping build the next generation of climate leaders. Cathy emphasizes the need to engage youth in our sustainability efforts.
MAUREEN STILLMAN: Co-Chair, NEST Energy Committee
Maureen Stillman was one of those “founding” members of NEST and she has chaired the NEST Energy Committee for six years, first co-chairing with Greg Hubert (Greg now works through Clean Energy Alliance of Naperville, https://new.
Maureen is a mother of two adult children, a son and a daughter. She moved from Ithaca, New York, in 2008, to be closer to family. She chose Naperville because of its excellent schools and vibrant technology community. With a BA in math from University of Illinois and a Masters in Computer Science from Northwestern, Naperville was a good fit for her family and career. For the last 10 years, Maureen has worked fulltime in cybersecurity of mobile devices for iOS and Android. Prior to this position, she worked for Nokia, Inc.
Maureen shared her take on how NEST has become so successful: “It takes a village. We need people from all backgrounds. We need people with differing skills to join us. For example, we have excellent tech help. Even I rely on our NEST tech support.”
“Ted Bourlard has a background in finance. The Council deals with finance. So, when Ted speaks at City Council, they listen…Our communications committee is a vital part of our efforts on all types of media including our website…We have excellent people who intersect with local schools, churches and civic groups,” explained Maureen.
Maureen highlighted how local grassroots efforts are most important:
“We have extensive outreach to many different groups in our area, including
- Naperville City Council
- Local colleges, specifically North Central College
- Clean Energy Alliance of Naperville
- League of Women Voters
- Citizens Utility Board
- Citizens Climate Lobby
- Sierra Club
- Legislative representatives in the Illinois House and Senate
- Environmental activists in St. Charles, Winnetka, Geneva and Batavia
- Local churches
- Naperville Schools and School Boards and youth
- Media
It truly takes a Village to do it all at NEST.”
“I also serve on the Board of Accelerate Climate Solutions. Accelerate has an internship program. One of our high school students shepherded a sustainability bill that passed the legislature. Youth involvement is very important,” said Maureen.
TED BOURLARD: Co-Chair NEST, and member of the Energy Committee
Ted Bourlard is the Co-Chair of NEST and a member of the Energy Committee.
Ted grew up in San Jose, California. His mother embraced the Prius hybrid when it first arrived. Her passion was bird watching. So early on Ted became interested in the environment, electric cars and the grid. Eventually he purchased a Prius for his son and a Chevy Volt for himself. According to Ted, his Volt has averaged 104 mpg. Al Gore’s, “An Inconvenient Truth” inspired him.
1982 – 1993: After receiving his degree in electrical engineering from Berkeley, he worked for IBM as a software engineer for five years and in sales as a large account manager for 7 years. In 1995 he completed his MBA at The University of Chicago, and went to work as a management consultant for Ernst & Young’s Management Consulting practice. While there, Ted led a Program Management Office that helped Ameritech launch high speed internet service in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio. The experience led to large high speed internet product launch and strategy engagements with Sprint, Bell Canada, SBC, and Telstra.
Then he married and began a family. Ted wanted to be home with his wife and children so he took a job as Marketing Director for a small (fifteen employees) product development services company close to home.
2007-2014 Ted began work as a project development manager for the fiber optic system division of Panduit. His division became the fastest growing, most profitable part of the company. Frustrated with new management, his career took another fork in the road. He became a financial adviser for Edward Jones before retiring in 2016.
Ted shared how he became involved with NEST earlier this year:
“I heard a rumor that Naperville might sign a contract for electricity primarily from coal. Bill Foster, the only U.S. Congressman with a PhD., and Sean Casten, US Representative, held a public meeting at North Central College. Professor Paul Bloom, head of environmental studies there, spoke. All presented the Naperville coal problem.”
Ted continued, “I knew about coal and greenhouse gasses (GHGs). I spoke with Cathy Clarkin and Maureen Stillman. They invited me to a NEST annual social meeting last December. At the January meeting, IMEA’s Sustainability Plan was explained by Naperville’s Electric Director, Brian Groth. I asked him if IMEA had already begun to plan for the promised decrease in GHGs by 2025. His answer: “You will have to ask the IMEA.” His answers to my other questions fostered further questions. When Cathy told me about our Muni-coop group, I became excited about getting involved with passing legislation.“
At Spring Lobby Day at the Capitol, I had the pleasure of lobbying with him to Sen. Ellman’s and Rep. Yang-Rohr’s offices. Ted did a good job speaking during our lobbying efforts. He is a quick study and has offered insight and ideas not only in what to say to our representatives but in how to say it.
