Winnetka Extends Contentious Contract With Illinois Municipal Electric Agency

WINNETKA, IL — Despite concerns over the agency's use of coal-fired power plants, the Winnetka Village Council approved a contract extension with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency through 2055.

The extension was approved at last week's Council meeting. According to the village, contract extensions with communities are essential to helping IMEA meet its goal of transitioning its generation sources to zero carbon emission by 2050.

Extensions help the agency identify its power demand requirements in advance, so it may appropriately invest in solutions that meet anticipated power needs.

"We understand that this is a contentious issue, due in part to IMEA’s use of coal in its current power generation portfolio. The Village Council is not a fan of coal, and we are deeply concerned about the
environment," the village said in a statement.

This year, Winnetka hired a Sustainability Coordinator, who is working to develop a Climate Action Plan to identify clean and efficient energy measures the village can take to reduce greenhouse gasses. Currently, Winnetka is exploring the development of a solar field on a decommissioned landfill and "cleaner" generation at the village's electric plant.

Before extending the contract, the Council reviewed the issue for 14 months, which included five study sessions on the topic where the public provided input. The village has summarized recent efforts regarding this issue on a dedicated webpage.

Due to the rapidly-changing electric market, the village said pursuing a different electric supplier would come with significant risk, which the Village Council was unwilling to take.

"We understand that on the surface it looks like we are supporting electricity from coal generation. This is not the case: we are maintaining our existing outstanding, reliable, and affordable delivery
of electricity to Winnetka’s homes and businesses and supporting our energy supplier in its plans to move toward carbon-neutral generation," the village said.