Village to Hold Public Hearings on Electrical Aggregation

The will participate in two public meetings Monday to discuss plans for electrical aggregation.

On March 20, Lemont voters approved a referendum that will allow the village to seek . But before officials can take action, they must first approve an Electric Power Aggregation Plan of Governance and Operation.

The towns, which will seek electric rate bids through the Will County Governmental League, must also hold public hearings on the proposed plan of governance.

The Village of Lemont will host a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday during its regularly scheduled committee of the whole meeting at Village Hall, 418 Main St. Another hearing will be held at 7 p.m. April 23, prior to the village board meeting.

On Monday, a joint public hearing is also planned for the villages of Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Lemont and Downers Grove. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Woodridge Village Hall, 5 Plaza Drive. 

What's electrical aggregation?

ComEd is a wire company. ComEd chose a supplier to provide them the electricity, which it then gets to your home and business.

Electrical aggregation, which the state Legislature approved last year, lets towns and counties shop around for a provider with a better deal. If they find a better deal, they switch over to that provider on your behalf. If the provider ComEd chose has the best rate, they stick with that.

Lemont as an entity has more bargaining power with the electric companies than we do. And Lemont plans to work with Will Utility Aggregation Group, a coalition of 23 government entities, for even more bargaining power.

I live outside Lemont

The referendum only includes residents of the Village of Lemont, not .

If you live in unincorporated Will County, nothing will change. .

Unincorporated Cook County did not vote on electricity aggregation.

The original bill that approved aggregation requires areas where residents voted against aggregation to run it as an opt-in program. You don't have to get in on this, but you can if you want.

I live in Lemont but don't want this

Don't want this? You can opt out at any time. In fact, you can already opt out of the supplier ComEd chose.

How do I opt out?

The Citizens Utility Board and the Illinois Commerce Commission offer resources for residents and small businesses to find their own provider online.

I live in Lemont and want in

If you want to see the rate the village negotiates with another provider, do nothing. It will happen.

For more on electrical aggregation read the original bill that approved it.