By Marc Willensky
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| Naperville City Council. Photo by Stefanie Harrison |
Recognizing the critical role of
local government in shaping environmental policy, the River Prairie Group (RPG)
Political Committee of the Sierra Club took the rare step of endorsing four
candidates for Naperville City Council, all of whom were victorious. Congratulations
to Benny White, Ian Holzhauer, Mary Gibson, and Ashfaq Syed. (In the photo above, RPG endorsed candidates are 4th from left Ashfaq Syed, 7th from left Benny White, 8th from left Ian Holzauer, and 9th from left Mary Gibson.)
The endorsements were based on the candidates’ commitment to transitioning
Naperville away from coal-produced energy sources, in particular, to not
extending the IMEA contract, which supplies Naperville with electricity, about
80% generated from its coal-fired power plants. The overwhelming victory of the
endorsed candidates’ sends a strong message that Naperville supports
sustainable energy policies and a clean energy future.
This stands in sharp contrast to the April 8th vote by the Public Utilities
Advisory Board (PUAB) of Naperville, who voted 4-3 to recommend the early
renewal of the IMEA contract despite the current contract running until 2035
with an option to terminate in 2040 with 5 years notice. The renewal would
extend the contract until 2055 without a plan to retire the coal-fired power
plants. The PUAB also said that their mission statement excludes the
environmental impact as a criterion for their decision. With the science
settled on climate change, it is incredible that a board that advises the City
Council on electric, water, and waste-water systems does not factor in
environmental concerns in its decision-making.
Notwithstanding the PUAB recommendation, RPG is hopeful that the newly sworn-in
City Council will take an approach that balances economic considerations and
energy reliability, and environmental responsibility as the city navigates
through the evolving energy landscape.
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