Most states require [integrated resource planning], including Illinois — but that mandate does not extend to municipal utilities like the Illinois Municipal Energy Agency. One legislative proposal sponsored by Naperville Democrat Rep. Janet Yang Rohr would change that. By requiring transparent energy planning every three years, advocates say the legislation would open the door for ratepayers to have more of a say in their energy supply, advocates say.
“It's that type of energy planning process that really gives City Council members and certainly ratepayers and stakeholders an opportunity to really engage in a democratic energy planning process,” Christine Nannicelli, a senior representative in Illinois for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, said. “What I'm hearing from different communities, whether it be from Naperville or St. Charles or Batavia is that folks want more of a voice in their energy future and have some real concerns about how coal-dominated their power supply is.”
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