More than 200 people packed into the Naperville City Council chambers Monday night to learn about Naperville’s reliance on coal for its electricity and the need, advocates say, to start shifting away from it.
State Sen. Laura Ellman, right, joined by state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, spoke to a room of local residents, stakeholders and elected officials Monday during a meeting about the city’s reliance on coal-generated electricity in the Naperville City Council chambers.That’s generous but not anything to take for granted, local environmental advocates say, especially with factors to consider that are years in the making.
But managing power generation assets is expensive and requires expertise, especially as sources grow and the electric grid gets more complex. So, to keep costs down and spare city resources, Naperville outsources its electricity supply needs to a third-party, the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency. Coal-fired power plants are a major source of climate-changing pollution. In 2021, the power sector was the nation’s second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with nearly 80% of the country’s electricity produced by burning fossil fuels, namely coal and natural gas, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Climate experts
IMEA’s portfolio isn’t completely void of renewables — solar, wind and hydro account for about 11% of the agency’s supply. But for the most part, coal forms the bulk of IMEA’s portfolio and in turn, Naperville’s too. And that arrangement is long term.When Naperville joined IMEA’s network 16 years ago, the city agreed to purchase power from the agency through 2035, binding the city’s electric grid to a primarily coal-based energy supply for the next 12 years. That is, if nothing changes.
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