Residents of Robinson will join 60 other Illinois communities Nov. 6 when they vote on the energy aggregation referendum

On Monday, Javier Barrios, a managing partner of Good Energy, spoke to attendees at a community meeting in Robinson, Ill. about the benefits of energy aggregation. He encouraged residents to vote "yes" on the energy aggregation referendum, which, if passed, would allow residents of Robinson to act as a single buyer. By coming together in a collective, the residents of Robinson would have more buying power and thus more sway in the market, driving down the price of energy. All residents would be enrolled automatically, but if a household does not want to participate, there will be an opt-out period during which they can return to Ameren Illinois' service. Barrios emphasized that automatically enrolling all residents in the program made the likelihood much higher that residents would be able to broker a much lower energy supply rate.

Source: GoodEnergy.com

Good Energy talks with WTYE 101.7's Chris Forde on the "Civic Interest" news program about the Electricity Supply Proposition that will be on the ballot Nov. 6.

This week, Good Energy sat down with WTYE 101.7's Chris Forde on the "Civic Interest" news program to talk about the Electricity Supply Proposition that will be on the ballot Nov. 6.  Javier Barrios, Managing Partner of Good Energy, explained to Chris what the history of the program is and what the merits will be if residents of the City of Robinson, the Villages of Hutsonville, Oblong and Palestine, and the unincorporated portions of Crawford County vote "yes" for the program. 

Click to listen. Click to Learn!

Source: 101.7 WTYE "Civic Intrest" with Chris Forde

From GoodEnergy.com: A good idea a year ago; a good idea today

A year after Philip Carr, Business Development Director for Good Energy, introduced the concept of energy aggregation before the Glen Carbon Village Board, local communities,  including Edwardsville, will vote on an aggregation referendum. If the referendum passes, Carr promised that residents will see a 25 to 27% reduction in their energy supply costs because they'll be able to bid as a collective.

While the language of energy aggregation isn't intuitive, the concept is simple. Just like always, you'll get one energy bill from the same company you always have, either Ameren Illinois or Commonwealth Edison, which now handles both energy distribution and energy supply. If the referendum passes and the community accepts a bid from another energy company, Ameren and ComEd will only handle distribution and billing. Your bill will reflect the newly-negotiated lower energy rate provided by the new independent energy company. 

Source: GoodEnergy.com

Illinois residents who have already implemented energy aggregation trumpet its success

In November, more than 220 municipalities in Illinois will go to the polls to vote on municipal aggregation, a plan which will allow residents to buy their electricity supply in bulk. Instead of continuing with Ameren Illinois, or in some areas Commonwealth Edison, residents will contract with a new independent energy company, which will be chosen after a competitive bidding process. If they vote yes, they will join a slew of other Illinois areas which approved an aggregation referendum in March. Over the past six months, those counties have witnessed a dramatic decrease in their energy supply bills. Average savings hover above 25%. A recent change in Illinois law allows for residents to contract with energy companies competing against traditional energy suppliers, including Ameren Illinois. After that change was made, companies began going door-to-door advertising to residents their competitive services. To help make sense of the chaos, Decatur, among other counties and municipalities, has hired Good Energy to help inform the public about the ins and outs of implementing a municipal aggregation plan. Because a lot of the new energy business is going to local companies, Charles de Casteja, managing partner of Good Energy, municipal aggregation could also stimulate local economies. "That is a lot of money going back into those communities," de Casteja said.

Source: GoodEnergy.com

Response to a Facebook comment: Administrative Fees and the Future

Some Communities that we have worked with in the past and those that we are working with currently, have elected to receive an administrative fee, or civic donation, as we sometimes refer to it as. Why? There is a great deal of work required on the local government's side in following the steps required to efficiently carry out the program. The fee is directly proportional to the number of residences and small business that enroll in the program - and the larger the community, the more work that is involved. Municipal officials are spending a great deal of time on their community's behalf to bring them savings; savings that would otherwise not be as substantially available using any other offer.

Additionally, it is important to understand that there are other fees which the municipality may have to incur, most notably attorney fees. Governments that decide to take the fee are free to do with it as they wish, though it is fair to say that many are putting these funds to good and constructive use, i.e., lighting efficiency upgrades that will save money in the long run, hiring new employees and/or retaining current ones. When daily headlines talk about unemployment numbers, this is a program that might actually have the impact of lowering them.

With regard to how this program could ultimately become a losing proposition for communities and end up costing them more in the end, let us be clear in saying that our firm has a solid performance record in carrying out our promises, and the first promise we made to each community began with an acknowledgement - that the savings which are available now will not be there forever. Illinois utility rates are expected to come down in the next several years, as indicated by the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). These are the organizations that buy the power for the utilities and the government organization responsible for utility oversight, respectively. This has been discussed in depth with each participating municipality and as a result, contract terms have been kept to a conservative 24-month duration. It should be noted that one of our most important contract terms is that, should the utility rate ever dip below the rate achieved via municipal aggregation, the winning supplier will be required to match that rate and/or return the customer to the utility without penalty of any kind. Simply put, this is a "no lose" situation for governments and their respective communities. That's why so many are moving so quickly towards municipal aggregation right now, and why it may very well become a model for the country. To be fair, however, reevaluation of the program will most certainly be required. Also be aware, that if a community decides to renew it's contract, residents will have another oportunity to opt-opt at that time.

Lastly, we will say that working with these communities directly, in nearly every case, we have been enormously impressed at the earnest efforts these government employees have made. They are truly looking out for their community's best interests and we should recognize and applaud them for that!

Good Energy talks with Brian Byers on Byers & Co on Newstalk 1340 WSOY Radio in Decatur

In an interview on Newstalk 1340 WSOY, Charles de Casteja, Managing Partner of Good Energy, discussed the municipal energy aggregation program with Brian Byers on the Byers & Co radio talk show. He explained what the measure intends to do as well as the benefits that voters should be aware of. When voting, residents who approve of the program should vote YES!, and are advised to listen to the interview to familiarize themselves with the question they will be seeing on the Nov. 6 ballot to avoid any misunderstanding.

Charles listed the benefits of the program, pointing out that communities will receive more buying power and improved contract terms in the residents' interest. After the bid, Mr. de Casteja stated "every resident will receive an opt-out letter from the selected winning supplier". Ameren will then issue another opt-out letter, after which you will be enrolled in the program for the remainder of the city's contract. Residents still have the option to exit the program at any time at a small fee.

Click this link to be taken to the WSOY.com website where you can hear this very informative interview

Good Energy on Byers & Co WSOY Radio Decatur

From GoodEnergy.com: As election day nears, Good Energy ramps up campaign to teach voters about energy aggregation

To prepare voters for the Nov. 6 ballot, the city of Decatur, IL is working with Good Energy to provide consulting and inform its residents of the upcoming municipal aggregation referendum. If the measure passes, Decatur will be eligible to participate in the program, which aims at combining many communities purchasing power to negotiate for a cheaper electricity rate.   

Charles de Casteja, managing partner of Good Energy, has been traveling Illinois, espousing the benefits of energy aggregation to counties and municipalities voting on an aggregation referendum Nov. 6. Municipal aggregation allows communities collective bargaining power in accepting energy supply rate bids from independent energy companies. Before aggregation took effect in Illinois, residents had no choice in their energy supplier--either Ameren Illinois or Commonwealth Edison. 

 

"What you're getting right now are rates from Ameren that you've had no choice in," de Casteja said. 

 

Since Illinois communities began passing energy aggregation referendums earlier this year, communities, and thus the residents within, have been able to pick their supplier and a much lower energy supply rate because there is now competition in the market. If residents of Decator pass the referendum Nov. 6, Good Energy, which will be paid by the winning energy company only if the referendum is passed, will be on the ground to help usher in the change.

Source: GoodEnergy.com

WAND-TV 17 Central Illinois news story on Electric Aggregation teaches us why you should vote YES!

Great TV news story on Electric Aggregation from WAND-TV Channel 17 (Champaign, Springfield & Decatur). The news story features Good Energy Managing Partner Charles de Casteja speaking at the Decatur Civic Center yesterday. We learn how communities like Urbana and Peoria voted YES! last March and are now saving 25%-30% on their electric bill. This equates to about $200-$250/year saved per household. 

Communities across Central and Southern Illinois will have this same referendum on their ballots November 6th. This includes Decatur, Cerro Gordo, Forsyth, Lovington, Matoon, Charleston and Effingham.  Vote YES!

Click below to watch the news story (warning: there is a small advertisement before the story)

Wandtv.com, NewsCenter17, Central Illinois News

From GoodEnergy.com: Granite City Ballot Set to Include Municipal Aggregation Measure Again

Although Granite City residents did not vote to pass the municipal aggregation measure in March, they will have another opportunity to vote again on the Nov. 6 ballot. This time around, Granite City officials are optimistic the measure will be approved and are putting a greater focus on helping residents better understand the issue. Good Energy is helping by encouraging voter education through billboards, mailings, and meetings. The success of the results seen in communities like Bethalto, Alton, Glen Carbon and Godfrey provide an inspiring incentive for Granite City to now pass the municipal aggregation measure. As a result of passing the measure, homeowners and small business owners were able to join other communities to negotiate for lower electric rates. If the measure is approved, municipal aggregation can offer residents potential savings of around 28% on their electric bills. This is what communities that passed the referendum in March 2012 saw. According to Mayor Ed Hagnauer of Granite City, it is important for people to realize that this plan works. As communities who passed the measure in March continue to save money on their electric bills and residents gain a better understanding of municipal aggregation, those municipalities that are re-voting, such as Granite City, will go into the Nov. 6 election more informed. If you are a resident of Granite City and would like to learn more about municipal aggregation, there will be an informational meeting Oct. 18 at 6:30PM at Nelson Hagnauer Township Hall (2060 Delmar Ave., Granite City).

Source: GoodEnergy.com

Talking about Municipal Aggregation: Good Energy on The McGraw Show on KTRS Big 550 St. Louis

On Thursday October 11, 2012 Good Energy Business Development Director Philip Carr spoke with McGraw Millhaven and explained the Electricity Supply Proposition on the Big 550 KTRS St. Louis morning news radio program, "The McGraw Show". 

To Listen to the 6 minute and 20 second excerpt of the show, click the play button.

If you prefer to listen to the archive of the entire show click below to be taken to the Big 550 KTRS website.  Philip talks with McGraw at 22 minutes and 45 seconds.

The McGraw Show 10/11/12 (Big 550 KTRS)