St. Charles to continue IMEA energy contract discussion Monday

St. Charles residents can hear more information about the city’s energy contract consideration from elected officials and city staff during Monday’s committee meeting.

St. Charles Government Services Committee members will engage in a question-and-answer session, led by public works director Peter Suhr, on the proposed energy contract extension with Illinois Municipal Electric Agency during their meeting on March 24.

Illinois Municipal Electric Agency is a coal-reliant nonprofit power supply agency that provides electric energy to 32 municipalities in Illinois.

IMEA owns a 15% share of Prairie State, a coal-burning power plant in southern Illinois that is the largest emitter of CO2 in the state and is among the top 10 largest CO2 emitters in the U.S., according to a 2019 study by the Environmental Protection Agency.

St. Charles has been sourcing its power from IMEA since 2004 and is under a power sales contract with the energy provider until Sept. 30, 2035.

With more than 10 years left on the contract, IMEA is urging St. Charles and other Illinois municipalities, including Naperville and Winnetka, to extend their contracts through May 2055.

Residents have been strongly opposed to extending the contract with IMEA, and several council members have expressed their own reservations, citing concerns over sustainability, coal reliance and unclear plans for future clean energy production.

Every seat in the City Council chambers was filled during last week’s City Council meeting, where the majority of the meeting was spent on public comment about the city’s energy contract.

In addition to frequently voicing concerns at public meetings, nearly 600 people have signed a “Tell Saint Charles to Say No to Fossil Fuels” petition created by resident Martha Gass.

The city is expected to make a final decision on whether or not to extend the contract by April.