Municipal Aggregation Explained: WLDS Interviews Philip Carr of Good Energy

Gary Scott of WLDS radio in Jacksonville, IL recently interviewed the business development director for Good Energy, Phillip Carr. Their topic of conversation was the upcoming electric aggregation vote in South Jacksonville, and how it could affect residents. Below are some key takeaways from the interview.

Last year, the city of Jacksonville approved an aggregation measure similar to that about to go on the South Jacksonville ballot. Residents in Jacksonville have seen enormous savings through aggregation since approving the measure. Since the vote in Jacksonville, Good Energy has also helped dozens of other local communities. “We’re purchasing power for about 400,000 households,” and those households are, “saving about 80 million dollars this year,” says Carr. He added, “I’m here to get the word out and let people know this is a great opportunity to save some money on their electric bill.” At this point, “about fifty percent of Ameren Illinois customers are purchasing power through government aggregation.”

Good Energy combines the energy needs of the residents of multiple municipalities to get the best possible rates on electricity. The plan for South Jacksonville is to join a collection of around 100,000 households. It is “bulk purchasing on a massive scale.” According to Carr, “a single household can get the same price as US Steel if you all purchase together” through aggregation.

Residents of communities involved in the next round of aggregation are expected to save between $100 an $150 per year. Further, says Carr, “the good news is that this is a tried and true concept.” Hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents have benefited from the savings from aggregation. And for those who are residents of a municipality with a scheduled aggregation vote, simply tick “yes” to help the measure pass.

For more information on municipal aggregation, click here. For the full interview, listen to the sound clip below.