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La Grange voters say yes to electricity savings
LA GRANGE
A measure to save on electric bills sparked strong voter approval Nov. 6.
Unofficial results show 4,301 residents or 65 percent of the votes cast, in favor of a referendum proposal to allow the village authority to aggregate, or pool, the electric load of residents and small businesses and buy electricity on their behalf. The process is similar to the way the village negotiates for garbage and cable services for the entire community.
Opposing the measure were 2,276 voters, or 35 percent.
Trustee Jim Palermo, who urged voter approval of the aggregation process, said he was pleased with the results.
“It isn’t often voters can go to the polls to lower their expenses. Residents of La Grange and many other Illinois municipalities enthusiastically supported electricity aggregation,” Palermo said. “Hopefully La Grange will act swiftly to reduce energy costs for its residents and businesses.”
ComEd will continue to bill residents for delivery of electricity and maintain the power grid to provide service. But with deregulation, the company will be in competition with other electrical suppliers.
LaGrange Park officials, for example, negotiated in June with First Energy, based in Akron, Ohio, to pay 4.93 cents per kilowatt hour, saving the average household $347 annually for the next two years.
Under the program, residential and small business customers will be automatically enrolled unless they choose to opt out.
