If you attended the NEST meeting, Naperville’s Coal Problem and What We Can Do About It, you learned that the first step in the process of transitioning Naperville from coal to clean electricity is to write City Council to ask that they:
- Delay contract negotiations with IMEA.
- Commit to public hearings.
Below are some guidelines for writing and two sample letters. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank you.
Guidelines
Personal emails and letters are more effective than form letters, so we ask that you write something yourself, following these guidelines:
- Indicate if you are a Naperville resident.
- Request that City Council delay contract negotiations with IMEA. Include any of the following reasons:
- It’s premature. We have 12 years until the contract ends.
- The electricity landscape is changing rapidly. We don’t want to be stuck, with no flexibility to take advantage of cheaper clean energy and storage.
- IMEA does not operate under transparent good governance.
- City Council’s fiscal responsibility to ratepayers is to provide oversight of our public utility.
- IMEA does not have a plan to transition off of coal to clean energy.
- IMEA does not do integrated resource planning to ensure that they are providing the cheapest form of energy to ratepayers.
- Say why you care about this.
- Because you care, you want the process to include public input through public hearings.
- Thank them and be solutions-oriented.
Council email address: [email protected]
Examples
Example 1:
Dear Councilmember [last name],
I’m a Naperville resident, a customer of its electric utility, and a voter. I respectfully ask that you do not agree to renew the current IMEA contract until the city engages in intensive research, consultation, and negotiations to determine the best energy supplier for our future needs.
The current contract ends no earlier than 2035, 12 years from now. Approximately 78% of our power is currently generated by coal fired power plants. Coal is expensive, highly polluting, and on its way out. New technologies are emerging, and both Illinois and the U.S. are rapidly transitioning to renewable energy sources. Why would we lock ourselves into more coal fired power now?
As a rate payer and community member, I believe the economic vitality of Naperville is at stake. We need to use Naperville’s leverage as IMEA’s largest customer to ensure that our future power contracts provide clean, economical energy with the flexibility to benefit from the rapid changes in the energy marketplace. Signing a long term contract now for more coal fired power is a terrible risk to our economy.
Please do not vote to renew IMEA’s contract at this time and please include the public in the planning process for the next electricity contract by holding public hearings.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Example 2:
Dear Councilmember [name]:
I attended the meeting, Naperville’s Coal Problem and What To Do About It, on September 25 to learn more about Naperville’s relationship with IMEA and how we can get on a path to clean energy. I am a Naperville resident and voter, and because I think we are the best city in the country, I want us to be leaders in addressing climate change. Continuing the status quo by extending the contract with IMEA before they commit to a transition plan to clean energy does not align with what needs to be done to reduce carbon emissions.
Please delay contract negotiations and include the public in the planning process for the next electricity contract by holding public hearings. As a community we can come together to make sure our electricity doesn’t cause harm to others. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[your name]