The Batavia City Council has approved a new policy to guide the city in upcoming energy decisions amid uncertainty at state and federal levels.

The Municipal Electric Utility Energy Policy, which will be reviewed on a schedule yet to be determined, sets sustainability goals and guides future infrastructure upgrades, energy procurement and other electric facility-related investments.

Addressing doubts posed by Council members during recent discussions over the attainability of some of the goals, Mayor Jeff Shielke admitted the approved policy is not “real strong,” but said it points the Council in the right direction.

“I think it’s best described as a work-in-progress,” Shielke said. “There’s probably some parts of this that we don’t really know yet, totally, and we need to get further down the road.”

Alderperson Alan Wolff said the plan will be reviewed on a regular basis, as determined by the state.

“It’s a good start,” Wolff said. “I believe it’s something we can utilize and review on a regular basis so we stay current with what the reality of the world is.”

Assistant City Administrator Max Weiss presented the policy to the Council. The document was identical to the draft recommended by the Committee of the Whole Aug. 26 after extensive discussions in meetings since July.

Council members approved the policy in a unanimous vote Sept. 2.

Batavia’s energy needs have been a topic of much discussion in recent months. A recently approved data center is expected to require an increase in the city’s energy capacity and about $18 million in facility infrastructure upgrades, including a new transformer.

The energy policy outlines a balanced resource ownership structure, climate goals and diversification of the city’s energy portfolio to include renewable and emerging energy technology.

Per the policy, the city will seek to own smaller local assets like energy storage while avoiding long-term contracts and large, complex and highly regulated assets.

The policy also aims to reduce the city’s community-wide greenhouse gas emissions to 25% below its 2019 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It emphasizes local energy generation and encourages household and community energy systems, including rooftop solar and localized storage by residents, businesses and city-owned facilities.

The Batavia Municipal Electric Utility sources its energy via a power sales agreement with the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency, or NIMPA, a joint action agency consisting of Batavia, Geneva and Rochelle.

NIMPA draws power from Prairie State Energy Campus, a coal-fired power plant in southern Illinois, of which it owns a 7.6% interest. Prairie State is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the state and the seventh largest in the country, according to EPA data from 2023.

Concerns from Kane County residents over the plant’s emissions recently played a part in St. Charles and Naperville rejecting contracts with their own energy providers.

In March, Batavia hired consultant group Brattle to conduct a comprehensive electric utility planning study, to ensure its energy system remains reliable, affordable and aligned with the city’s long-term goals.

The new energy policy is expected to help guide Brattle on the city’s priorities while it conducts the study.