Fairview City Council Deliberates on Electric Aggregation

All across Illinois, residents are seeing huge cost savings from electric aggregation, leaving Fairview City Mayor Gail Mitchell wondering if her residents are ready to save, too. She has put forth a resolution that asks voters if the city should "have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such a program?"

Electric aggregation is a simple concept: buying in bulk saves money on other services, so why should this not hold true for electricity distribution? If the referendum passes, the city will have the ability to negotiate electricity supply prices for all residents and small businesses. A simple majority is required to pass the referendum, at which point the city will negotiate with multiple electric suppliers to find the lowest rate.

To place a referendum on the ballot, a specific process must be followed. At this point, the only thing holding off a vote on the April 9th ballot is a vote by the city council to allow the resolution.

All residents will be automatically invited to partake in the discounted rates, unless they formally opt out. Should a customer opt out, they will continue to be serviced by Ameren Illinois at their standard rates. To opt out of electric aggregation in Illinois, there are two options. The first option comes when the community negotiates the new rate and chooses the new provider. The second option comes when the current provide, Ameren Illinois, directly sends an opt-out notice.

If you would like more information about Municipal aggregation, click here. For the full article, see below.

Source: BND.com