ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE 2020/12/17 PacketENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING
Thursday, December 17, 2020 – 6:30 P.M.
REMOTE ACCESS MEETING
AGENDA
Please be advised that all of the Environmental Sustainability Committee members will be
remotely attending this Committee meeting by electronic means, in compliance with Governor’s
Executive Order 2020-39, issued on May 29, 2020, that extended the suspension of certain Open
Meetings Act provisions relating to in-person attendance by members of a public body.
Specifically, the Governor’s Order: (1) suspends the requirement in Section 2.01 that “members of
a public body must be physically present;” and (2) suspends the limitations in Section 7 on when
remote participation is allowed. This Executive Order is effective the duration of the current
Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation. The City will be providing members of the public with
various opportunities to watch or attend this meeting, as well as provide public comment at the
meeting. For example, members of the public can participate remotely in the meeting by following
the public audience link which will provide both video and audio means to attend the meeting.
Public audience link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83607146791?pwd=KzVxcFFpK2Z0QXp6V1dhaHZkOTFwUT09
Or dial by phone at: 312-626-6799
Webinar ID: 836 0714 6791
Passcode: 1861
I.CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
_____ Ald. Melanie Rummel, Chairman
_____ Ald. Jed Morris
_____ Ald. Jim Preschlack
II.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
a. None
III.ACTION ITEMS
a.APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 26, 2020 MEETING MINUTES
b.CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY’S PLAN OF OPERATION
AND GOVERNANANCE FOR ITS ELECTRICITY AGGREGATION PROGRAM
–Presented by Mike Strong, Assistant City Manager
c.CONSIDERATION OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC RECYCLING PARTNERSHIPS
–Presented by Layla Werner, Administrative Intern
IV.ADDITIONAL ITEMS
a.REVIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES & PRIORITIES – Presented by
Mike Strong, Assistant City Manager
V.PUBLIC COMMENT
VI.NEXT MEETING DATE(S)
VII.ADJOURNMENT
ACTION ITEM:
APPROVAL OF
OCTOBER 26, 2020
MEETING MINUTES
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING 1
Thursday, October 26, 2020 – 10:30 A.M. 2
REMOTE ACCESS MEETING 3
4
ROLL CALL/CALL TO ORDER 5
6
Chairman Melanie Rummel called the meeting to order at 10:30 A.M. Aldermen 7
Jed Morris and Jim Preschlack were present. 8
9
Staff in attendance included Mike Strong, Assistant City Manager; Michael 10
Thomas, Director of Public Works; Jim Lockefeer, Management Analyst; Dan 11
Martin, Superintendent of Public Works; Cathy Czerniak, Director of Community 12
Development and Layla Werner, Administrative Intern. 13
14
Also in attendance was Greg Maxwell, Senior Vice President of Resource 15
Management Companies and Marcus Norman, Consultant. 16
17
There were approximately 10 members of the public that attended the meeting 18
remotely. 19
20
Chairman Rummel made the following statement as required by the Open 21
Meetings Act. In accordance with state statute, Chairman Rummel has made a 22
determination that it was not practical or prudent to schedule an in-person 23
Committee meeting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why this 24
October 26, 2020 Environmental Sustainability Committee meeting is being held 25
remotely. 26
27
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 28
29
I. UPDATE ON RECYCLING COSTS AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN – 30
Presented by Dan Martin & Marcus Norman, Norman Design 31
32
Assistant City Manager, Mike Strong introduced Superintendent of 33
Public Works, Dan Martin to update the Committee on recycling 34
costs, as well as the recycling campaign. Dan Martin explained 35
that the presentation would give additional background on the 36
marketing component to the recycling campaign and the 37
contract that the City has with Resource Management Companies. 38
39
Greg Maxwell, Senior Vice President of Resource Management 40
Companies presented an update on recycling methods He briefly 41
displayed current trends for different recyclable products and 42
market value for specific products with contamination. 43
44
The Committee had lengthy discussion on education campaigns 45
on contamination levels in the City. Greg Maxwell explained to the 46
Committee the strengths of the current educational campaign 47
being utilized in the City. 48
Environmental Sustainability Committee Minutes
October, 26 2020
49
Marcus Norman, Consultant gave a brief update on the recycling 50
campaign being conducted by the City. He began his 51
presentation by providing background on the purpose of the 52
recycling campaign and discussed the various forms of 53
communication utilized to be more interactive with residents. Mr. 54
Norman explained the success of different forms of 55
communication, stating that some initiatives have been put on 56
hold, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 57
58
Chairman Rummel asked if there were any questions or comments 59
on this agenda item. 60
61
The Committee thanked Mr. Norman for his work on the recycling 62
campaign. 63
64
The Committee had lengthy discussion about the continued 65
education and tracking of the contamination rates within the City. 66
67
Chairman Rummel asked if there were any additional comments 68
from the Committee, seeing none she asked if there were any 69
questions or comments from the public. 70
71
Seeing none, she moved to the next agenda item. 72
73
II. INTRODUCTION ON SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES & PRIORITIES – 74
Presented by Mike Strong 75
76
Assistant City Manager, Mike Strong gave a brief overview of a 77
preliminary list of sustainability initiatives and projects that the 78
Committee may choose to prioritize in the future. He explained the 79
processes and discussions that were conducted by MIST 80
environment regarding how to weight and value specific projects, 81
and ensuring that priorities are in alignment with the Committee, 82
community, and City Council goals. 83
84
The Committee expressed their excitement on the potential for 85
recommended next steps and how they could coordinate future 86
recommendations with capital projects. 87
88
Chairman Rummel asked if there were any additional comments 89
from the Committee, seeing none she asked if there were any 90
questions or comments from the public. 91
92
Seeing none, she moved to the next agenda item. 93
94
95
96
Environmental Sustainability Committee Minutes
October, 26 2020
ACTION ITEMS 97
98
I. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 MEETING MINUTES 99
100
Alderman Preschlack moved to approve the September 17, 2020 101
Environmental Sustainability Committee meeting minutes. 102
Alderman Morris seconded the motion. The following voted “Aye”: 103
Chairman Rummel, Alderman Morris and Preschlack. The following 104
voted “Nay”: None. 3-Ayes, 0 Nays, motion carried. 105
106
II. REVIEW AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL 107
SUSTAINABILITY ENHANCEMENTS TO CIP PROJECTS FOR FY2022 – 108
Presented by Mike Strong, Michael Thomas, Chuck Myers 109
110
Assistant City Manager, Mike Strong introduced Director of Public 111
Works, Michael Thomas, to present on how staff has reviewed the 112
capital planning process to include sustainability enhancements. 113
114
Director of Public Works, Michael Thomas discussed the process of 115
updating the five year capital plan that is reviewed every year to 116
evaluate City owned infrastructure. Michael Thomas, Jim Lockefeer 117
and Chuck Myers presented potential projects such as the Old Elm 118
and Sheridan Parking Lot, Fire Department vehicle replacement, 119
Rockefeller/Loch Storm sewer ravine project, Seminary Ravine 120
sanitary/storm sewer study, South Park parking lot replacement, 121
and Waveland Park lot resurface and expansion, that could have 122
a sustainability aspect added to the project. 123
124
The Committee asked additional clarifying questions throughout 125
the presentation. 126
127
The Committee had additional discussion on ravine management 128
and a potential public education component to further explain 129
ravine enhancements. 130
131
Alderman Preschlack moved to recommend approval of the 132
sustainable project component to City Council to review at the 133
November budget meeting. Alderman Morris seconded the 134
motion. The following voted “Aye”: Chairman Rummel, Alderman 135
Morris and Preschlack. The following voted “Nay”: None. 3-Ayes, 0 136
Nays, motion carried. 137
138
Chairman Rummel asked if there were any questions or comments 139
from the public. 140
141
There was one question which was answered live with the Zoom 142
Q&A function. 143
144
Environmental Sustainability Committee Minutes
October, 26 2020
145
ADDITIONAL ITEMS 146
147
I. DEERPATH STREETSCAPE PROJECT UPDATE – Presented by Jim 148
Lockefeer 149
150
Public Works Management Analyst, Jim Lockefeer gave a brief 151
update on the Deerpath Streetscape, stating that the City has 152
completed the phase one design process. During this process, the 153
ad hoc committee solicited feedback from the community, that 154
green infrastructure be incorporated into the final project plan. Jim 155
Lockefeer explained how the recommended tree trenches 156
encompassed the sustainability aspect by improving storm water 157
quality. 158
159
Chairman Rummel asked if there were any additional questions or 160
comments from the Committee. Seeing none, she asked if there 161
were any questions or comments from the public. 162
163
Seeing none, she moved to the next agenda item. 164
165
PUBLIC COMMENT 166
167
Chairman Rummel asked if there were any public comments on any non-168
agenda items. 169
170
Seeing none, Chairman Rummel moved to the next agenda item. 171
172
NEXT MEETING DATE(S) 173
174
175
ADJOURNMENT 176
177
Alderman Morris moved to adjourn the meeting of the Environmental 178
Sustainability Committee at 12:07 P.M. seconded by Chairman Rummel. The 179
motion carried unanimously by voice vote. 180
181
Respectfully Submitted, 182
183
Layla Werner 184
Administrative Intern 185
186
187
Reviewed by, 188
189
Mike Strong 190
Assistant City Manager 191
ACTION ITEM:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY’S
PLAN OF OPERATION AND
GOVERNANANCE FOR ITS
ELECTRICITY AGGREGATION
PROGRAM
MEMORANDUM
THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
Page 1
TO: Members of the Environmental Sustainability Committee
FROM: Mike Strong, Assistant City Manager
DATE: December 9, 2020
SUBJECT: Electricity Aggregation Program – Plan of Operation and Governance Review
Purpose and Action Requested
The purpose of this memorandum is to introduce a request to consider amendments to the
City’s Plan of Operation and Governance (“POGO”) for its Electricity Aggregation Program.
Such amendments are necessary in order for the City to engage in a joint procurement process
with members of the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium (“NSEAC”) to enter into an
electricity aggregation program which would offer alternative supply for residents and small
businesses equal to the price of Commonwealth Edison’s (“ComEd”) supply rate.
This initiative could generate approximately $50,000 per year in revenue for the City that may
be used to purchase renewable energy credits (“RECs”) and become an EPA Green Energy
Community or to fund other environmentally sensitive or sustainability-related purposes.
City staff will introduce this item during the Committee meeting on Thursday, December 17, and
will be seeking a recommendation from the Committee to move this initiative forward. If the
Committee is supportive, the requisite public hearings and approval documents would be
prepared for City Council consideration in early February 2021.
Background
On August 10, 2009, Governor Quinn signed into law Public Act 96-176, amending the Illinois
Power Agency Act, which authorizes municipalities to arrange for the provision of electricity to
residential and small commercial retail customers by alternative electric suppliers (instead of
ComEd). Under the law, the City may seek bids for electricity supply services to these
customers, in hopes that the selected rate will be lower than the standard rate offered by
ComEd.
In 2011, the Cities of Highland Park, Lake Forest and Park Ridge, and the Villages of Deerfield,
Glencoe, Lake Bluff, Northbrook and Skokie formed the NSEAC through an intergovernmental
agreement. The NSEAC was established to act as a collective body of municipalities to create
and manage municipal electric aggregation services on behalf of their residents and eligible
businesses. NSEAC communities entered into power supply agreements in 2012-2015 and
2016-2017 and, by doing so, generated cost savings. However, all aggregation programs
ended in 2017 when cost savings were no longer achievable.
Page 2
Since this time, members of the NSEAC have monitored the market and have engaged in other
energy policy efforts, including the Elgin Solar facility and the City’s community solar program.
The NSEAC members have been researching a new aggregation model, coined “Aggregation
2.0”, as a possible opportunity for municipalities to generate new revenue that can be used to
fund municipal operations, sustainability initiatives and/or purchase RECs without risking rates
that exceed ComEd’s default rate. Under this new model, a select portion of the community’s
residential and small commercial customers, based on their average consumption, would be
enrolled in an alternative supplier offering that would be equal to the ComEd default supply rate,
for the duration of the contract. Unlike the original aggregation program, this new model allows
for the savings in providing electricity to these consumers to be made available to the municipality
in the form of grant funding. The new model assumes that these funds would be used to purchase
renewable energy credits that, effectively, would increase the community’s use of renewable
resources to fulfill energy demands or for sustainability initiatives and programs that benefit the
community.
Importantly, residents will not experience any distribution in the reliability of their service or change
in their service priority by ComEd. However, current customers that are already enrolled in an
alternate supply contract with an alternative provider, or who have enrolled in the City’s
Community Solar program would not be eligible to participate in this program as only current
accounts being served on the default ComEd supply rate are eligible.
There are currently 64 municipalities in Illinois that have active power supply agreements under
this model of municipal aggregation. Similar to the traditional aggregation programs the City has
managed in the past, print communications and marketing materials, and customer service to
residents would be handed by the alternative energy supplier, subject to review and approval by
the City. Typically, the supplier will dedicate a toll-free call-in number, and website, to handle
customer inquiries. Residents who are enrolled will continue to receive a bill from ComEd.
Due to the uniqueness of this new model, and its sophistication, the NSEAC’s legal representation
has advised that an amendment to the existing POGO will be necessary in order for communities
to consider this initiative. Specifically, the original intent of the POGO was to establish an
aggregation program that achieved guaranteed savings. The new model, which would not result
in cost savings for customers, was not contemplated when the original POGO was adopted. This
process will require public hearings and the adoption of an ordinance prior to acceptance of any
competitive bids for a power supply agreement. Following adoption of the amendments, the
NSEAC will conduct a request for proposals and the City will be able to consider accepting the
winning proposal in the first quarter of 2021. Draft amendments to the existing Plan of Operations
and Governance are attached.
Financial Impact
Outside of the nominal fees related with legal noticing requirements, there would be no expense
to the City for proceeding with a municipal aggregation program under this new model. The City
is projected to receive revenue of approximately $50,000 per year based on an analysis that
was performed in June 2020. The projection is a conservative value for budgeting purposes.
The revenue that is earned may be used by the City for any purpose or the funds may be
applied to the purchase of RECs to reduce the City’s carbon footprint.
Page 3
Next Steps
In order to engage in this new aggregation effort, the City must amend its Plan of Operation and
Governance for its Municipal Aggregation Program. Amending the Plan of Operation requires
two consecutive public hearings before adoption.
City Staff will be seeking a recommendation from the Committee to move this initiative forward.
If the Committee is supportive, the requisite public hearings and approval documents would be
prepared for City Council consideration in January/February 2021.
Attachments
• Plan of Operations and Governance Presentation for Committee Meeting
• Draft Amended Plan of Operations and Governance
ELECTRICAL AGGREGATION 2.0
PLAN OF OPERATION AND GOVERNANCE
(“POGO”) AMENDMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
DECEMBER 17, 2020
MUNICIPAL AGGREGATION 101
•What is it? Authorizes municipalities to procure alternative electricity
supply on behalf of residents and small business utility customers
(using no more than 15,000 kWh/year) located within their boundaries
•How? Move all customers to alternative supplier…
•Except opt-outs, ineligible customers, etc
•Why? Generate savings from lower supply costs…
•Give aggregate savings back directly to customers through reduced
rates
BACKGROUND
•August 2009 –PA 96 -176 Authorized municipal
electrical aggregation
•December 2011 –North Shore Electricity
Aggregation Consortium (“NSEAC”) formed
•March 2012-Referendum approved in Lake
Forest to allow municipal aggregation
•Action authorized the City to aggregate
electricity supply and select an alternative
energy supplier
•Executed two supply contracts (2012-2015),
and (2016-2017)
AGGREGATION 1.0 COST TO SERVE
Alternative Provider ComEd Retail Tariff
𝐴𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑃𝑃𝑙𝑙𝑃𝑃𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑃𝑃𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝐶𝐶𝑙𝑙:4.75₵/kWh <
Figures are illustrative
𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝑙𝑙𝐶𝐶𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝐶𝐸𝐸𝑃𝑃𝑙𝑙𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝑙𝑙𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝐶𝐶𝑙𝑙:5.00₵/kWh
7₵2₵1₵2₵
5₵8₵11₵3₵
3₵5₵5₵5₵
5₵5₵5₵5₵
5₵5₵5₵5₵
5₵5₵5₵5₵
AGGREGATION 1.0 -RECAP
•Initially high savings (~40%) due to ComEd’s temporarily high costs resulting
from legislation
•June 2012 –May 2015 Estimates:
•$36.5 million in savings across NSEAC
•$4.1 million in savings to Lake Forest residents
•Savings diminished as ComEd’s legislatively required supply contracts expired
and were replaced by lower cost contracts
•Idled aggregation in May 2017; no guaranteed pricing benefit since that time
AGGREGATION 2.0
•Current Challenge: Aggregation can deliver some savings against
the current ComEd Rate –but not a guaranteed savings.
•Solution: “Aggregation 2.0”
•Move low “cost to serve” customers to alternative supplier, and
keep high “cost to serve” customers with ComEd
•Except opt-outs, ineligible customers, etc.
•Customers served by the alternative supplier receive the
ComEd rate (including PEA adjustments)
•Generate savings from lower supply costs
Alternative Provider ComEd Retail Tariff
Figures are illustrative
Alternative provider cost:
3.5₵
ComEd cost: 5₵
(Customers all pay ComEd rate)
2₵1₵2₵
5₵3₵
3₵5₵5₵5₵
5₵
5₵5₵
AGGREGATION 2.0 COST TO SERVE
5₵5₵5₵5₵
5₵5₵5₵5₵
5₵5₵5₵5₵
AGGREGATION 2.0 SAVINGS POTENTIAL
NSEAC Members
TotalHighland
Park
Lake
Forest Lake Bluff Northbrook Glencoe Deerfield Skokie
Total Consumption
(MWh)232,023 384,971 52,654 396,569 64,559 198,317 508,994 1,441,518
Eligible
Consumption
(MWh)
141,230 114,905 25,858 130,599 49,232 72,328 157,962 561,516
Savings Estimate $85,400 $51,800 $12,900 $97,900 $28,200 $49,900 $124,000 $450,100
RECs as % of Total
Consumption 29%11%20%20%35%20%19%25%
RENEWABLE CREDIT IMPACT (ESTIMATE)
Lake Forest Total NSEAC
Estimated Annual
KWh of Renewable
Energy (RECs)
~ 42,346,810 kilowatt hours ~360,379,500 kilowatt hours
is equal to the carbon emissions from
Gallons of gasoline
consumed
~ 3,369,066
(396 tanker trucks)
28,671,399 gallons
(3,373 tanker trucks)
-or -
Pounds of coal
burned
32,990,752
(165 railcar loads)
280,757,643 pounds
(1,401 railcar loads)
-or -
Annual electricity
usage by X homes 5,069 homes 43,140 homes
Estimates are EPA greenhouse gas equivalencies
TIMELINE & NEXT STEPS
•January 19 –City Council
•First public hearing (required by statute)
•February 1 –Consider:
•Second public hearing (required by statute)
•Amend Plan of Operation and Governance
•Amend NSEAC Intergovernmental Agreement
•End of Q1 2021
•Consider NSEAC-solicited proposals for Aggregation 1.0 and 2.0 options
QUESTIONS
The City of Lake Forest
Electricity Aggregation Program
Plan of Operation & Governance
February 1, 2021 Deleted: April 2, 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF MUNICIPAL AGGREGATION ............................................................................ 1
II. DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 2
III. ROLE OF THE CONSORTIUM ..................................................................................................................... 4
IV. ROLE OF THE CITY .................................................................................................................................... 4
V. ROLE OF THE AGGREGATION CONSULTANT .............................................................................................. 5
VI. POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT .................................................................................................................. 6
VII. PRICING .................................................................................................................................................. 8
VIII. IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES........................................................................................................... 8
IX. ADDITIONAL SERVICE TERMS AND CONDITIONS .................................................................................... 13
X. INFORMATION AND COMPLAINT NUMBERS ........................................................................................... 13
The City of Lake Forest
Plan of Operation and Governance
Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 1
I. HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF MUNICIPAL AGGREGATION
Pursuant to Section 1-92 of the Illinois Power Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3855/1-92, the City of Lake Forest is authorized
to aggregate the electric loads of small commercial and residential customers located within its municipal
boundaries (herein referred to as “municipal aggregation”). As part of the municipal aggregation, the City of
Lake Forest may select a retail electric supplier and enter into a service agreement to facilitate the purchase of
electricity and related services and equipment on behalf of its residents and small businesses.
Additionally, the Act also states:
The corporate authorities or county board may also exercise such authority jointly with any other
municipality or county. Two or more municipalities or counties, or a combination of both, may
initiate a process jointly to authorize aggregation by a majority vote of each particular
municipality or county as required by this Section.
The municipalities of Deerfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Northbrook, Park Ridge, and
Skokie, voluntarily and through a formal Intergovernmental Agreement, have formed the “North Shore
Electricity Aggregation Consortium” (“Consortium”) to facilitate their cooperation toward obtaining the lowest
possible electricity rates for their respective residents and small businesses. The Consortium seeks to
collectively aggregate the retail electric loads of eligible residents and small commercial retail accounts and to
solicit bids for the purchase of that electricity. The City, as a member of the Consortium, intends to solicit bids
seeking various pricing options, contract terms, and options for increased volumes of renewable energy. With
its large quantity of eligible electric accounts, the Consortium has the potential to attract lower rates that are
competitive with default tariff service rates for its residents and small businesses, while also acquiring a cleaner
portfolio of power supply.
In accordance with the Act, on November 21, 2011, the City approved Resolution No. 2011-23, authorizing the
placement of a referendum on the March 20, 2012 ballot, seeking authority to create an opt-out municipal
aggregation program for its residents and small business customers. Voters approved the municipal aggregation
referendum at the March 20, 2012 primary election. Record of the authorizing votes for the referendum is
included in Attachment A to this Plan of Operation and Governance.
Prior to the passage of the referendum, the Consortium retained the services of a Consultant to assist with
planning and implementing the Program, bidding and selecting the electricity supplier, and advising Consortium
participating municipalities on public outreach and education related to municipal aggregation.
Residential and small commercial retail customers often lack the resources to conduct due diligence and
negotiate favorable terms with alternate retail electric suppliers on their own. The Program not only provides
these services, but provides the bargaining power achieved through the size of the Consortium. The municipal
aggregation program is designed to create public benefits that do not increase the amount that residents and
small businesses pay for electric energy power supply and gain other favorable terms of service. Examples of
these benefits may include: reduced electricity supply rates for customers, additional revenue for municipal
programs that support energy efficiency and sustainability, and increased utilization of renewable energy in
meeting the retail electric needs of consortium Communities.
Neither the Consortium nor its participants will buy or resell power. Rather, the Consortium has competitively
bid, and will negotiate, a contract with a competent and licensed alternative retail electric supplier (ARES) on
behalf of the Consortium participants to provide electric supply at contracted rates to residents and small
Deleted: has solicited
Deleted: an estimated 90,000
Deleted: than the
Deleted: current
Deleted: reduce
The City of Lake Forest
Plan of Operation and Governance
Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 2
businesses in each Consortium community. The ARES shall provide accurate and understandable pricing and
facilitate opt-out notifications. The ARES will also perform ancillary services for the Consortium participants as
described in this Plan.
Because the City adopted an opt-out aggregation program, all eligible customers located within the City will
participate in the Program unless they affirmatively elect to opt out of the Program. By identifying the
procedures by which customers may opt-out of the Program, the City ensures that participation is voluntary and
individuals have the ability to decline to participate.
As required by law, this Plan of Operation and Governance describes the City plan for:
1) Providing universal access to all applicable residential customers and equitable treatment of
applicable residential customers;
2) Providing demand management and energy efficiency services to each class of customers; and
3) Meeting any other legal requirements concerning aggregated electric service.
Consortium participants conducted a public outreach campaign to educate Consortium residents and small
businesses about the Program, and to gather input regarding their preferences for the development of this
Aggregation Plan of Operation and Governance. Outreach efforts included public meetings, two statutorily-
required public hearings, press releases, and discussions with organizations and residents with a background in
energy matters.
The City the Consultant, and the selected ARES will follow the Plan of Operation and Governance set forth in
this document. Amendments to this Plan of Operation and Governance may be adopted in accordance with the
Act at the option of the City.
II. DEFINITIONS
In order to clarify certain terminology, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
“Act” shall refer to the Illinois Power Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3855/1-1 et seq.
“Aggregation” or “Municipal Aggregation” shall mean the pooling of residential and small commercial retail
electrical loads located within the municipality for the purpose of soliciting bids and entering into service
agreements to facilitate for those loads the sale and purchase of electricity and related services and equipment,
all in accordance with Section 1-92 of the Act.
“Aggregation Consultant” or “Consultant” shall refer to any independent consultant with demonstrated
expertise in electric supply contracting that is retained by the City or the Consortium to assist with the
implementation of the Program.
“Aggregation Member” or “Member” shall mean a residential or small commercial retail electric account
enrolled in the City Municipal Aggregation Program.
“Aggregation Program” or “Program” shall mean the program established by the City to provide residential and
small commercial members in the City with retail electric supply, as described in this Plan.
The City of Lake Forest
Plan of Operation and Governance
Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 3
“Alternative Retail Electric Supplier” or “ARES” shall mean an entity certified by the ICC to offer electric power
or energy for sale, lease or in exchange for other value received to one or more retail customers, or that engages
in the delivery or furnishing of electric power or energy to such retail customers, and shall include, without
limitation, resellers, aggregators and power marketers, but shall not include the Electric Utility or the
Aggregation Members. For purposes of this Plan, the definition of Alternative Retail Electric Supplier is more
completely set forth in 220 ILCS 5/16-102.
“Ancillary Services” shall mean the necessary services that shall be provided in the generation and delivery of
electricity. As defined by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, “Ancillary Services” include, without
limitation: coordination and scheduling services (load following, energy imbalance service, control of
transmission congestion); automatic generation control (load frequency control and the economic dispatch of
plants); contractual agreements (loss compensation service); and support of system integrity and security
(reactive power, or spinning and operating reserves).
“City” shall mean the City of Lake Forest.
“Commonwealth Edison” or “ComEd” shall mean the Commonwealth Edison Utility Company as the entity that
has a franchise, license, permit or right to distribute, furnish or sell electricity to retail customers within the
Consortium municipalities.
“Consortium” shall mean the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium.
“Default Tariff Service” shall mean the electricity supply services available to eligible retail customers of the
Electric Utility.
“Electric Utility” shall mean Commonwealth Edison, as the entity that has a franchise, license, permit or right to
distribute, furnish or sell electricity to retail customers within the City.
“Eligible Retail Customer” shall mean a residential and small commercial retail customer of the Utility.
“ICC” shall mean the Illinois Commerce Commission as described in 220 ILCS 5/2-101.
“IPA” shall mean the Illinois Power Agency.
“Joint Power Supply Bid” shall mean the single procurement process utilized by the Consortium on behalf of its
participating municipalities to solicit price and service offers from certified Alternative Retail Electric Suppliers.
“Load” shall mean the total demand for electric energy required to serve the City residential and small
commercial customers in the Aggregation Program.
“Opt-Out” shall mean the process by which a Member who would be included in the Program chooses not to
participate in the Program.
“Opt-Out Notice” shall mean the notice delivered to each Member by the ARES, identifying the procedures and
protocols for the Member to opt out of, and choose not to participate in, the Program.
“PIPP” shall mean a Percentage of Income Payment Plan created by the Emergency Assistance Act, 305 ILCS 20-
18, to provide a bill payment assistance program for low-income residential customers.
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Plan of Operation and Governance
Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 4
“PJM” shall mean the PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement
of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia including the Commonwealth
Edison service territory.
“Plan” shall mean this Aggregation Plan of Operation and Governance.
“Power Supply Agreement” shall mean the contract between the City and the Alternative Retail Electric Supplier.
“REC” shall mean Renewable Energy Credits certified in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Illinois
Renewable Portfolio Standard.
“Retail Customer Identification Information” shall mean the retail customer information supplied by the Electric
Utility to the ARES in connection with the implementation of the Aggregation Program.
“Small Commercial Retail Customer” shall mean a retail customer that consumes 15,000 kilowatt-hours or less
of electricity; provided, however, that the definition of Small Commercial Retail Customer shall include such
other definition or description as may become required by law or tariff.
III. ROLE OF THE CONSORTIUM
A. The Consortium, with the assistance of the Consultant, has conducted a Joint Power Supply Bid, utilizing the
agreed-to technical specifications, bidder requirements, bidding processes, and contract documents, to
select a single Alternative Retail Electric Supplier (ARES). The Consortium has evaluated the bids received
and has recommended a single Alternative Retail Electric Supplier to serve as the electricity supplier to all
participating municipalities in the Consortium.
B. After passage of the referenda within the Consortium participant municipalities, the Consortium, with the
assistance of the Consultant, prepared and submitted to ComEd a warrant, demonstrating the passage of
each Consortium participant’s referendum and requesting the identification of retail and small commercial
electric customer account information and generic load profiles for each Consortium participant.
C. After the adoption of this Plan, the corporate authorities of the City will consider approval of the Power
Supply Agreement with the selected ARES for the provision of electrical power to the City’s Program
pursuant to the Joint Power Supply Bid.
D. After the adoption of this Plan, the Consortium, with the assistance of the Consultant, shall prepare data
requests for each Consortium participant to submit to ComEd seeking the generic account data of residential
and small commercial retail customers for the Consortium participant.
IV. ROLE OF THE CITY
A. The City shall be responsible for all financial obligations identified in the intergovernmental agreement
establishing the Consortium.
B. The City shall be responsible for issuing all required public notices and conducting all required public
hearings concerning this Plan, and any amendments thereto, in accordance with Section 1-92 of the Act.
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 5
C. The City shall be responsible for providing the Consultant and ARES with resources and publicly available
material to screen out customers who are not located within the municipal boundaries. Those resources
may include any or all of the following: property records, water and/or sewer records, fire and/or police
department address records, 911 address records, street listings, and maps.
D. The City shall adopt: (1) an ordinance authorizing an opt-out electric aggregation program; and (2) this Plan
of Operation and Governance.
E. The City may accept or reject the Consortium’s selected ARES or Power Supply Agreement. The City is under
no obligation to enter into any Power Supply Agreement with any ARES and may, in its discretion, choose
to have its aggregation members remain on Com Ed’s default tariff service, or to re-bid the electric service
under the same or amended terms of this Plan.
F. The City and Consultant will review the customer list to remove ineligible customers; provided however,
that the City and Consultant shall have no responsibility to potential aggregation Members or the ARES for
the accuracy of the customer account information provided.
G. The City shall forward to ComEd requests for consumer account data.
H. The City will maintain the customer information it receives in a confidential manner as required by law, and
will use that information only for purposes of its Municipal Aggregation. The City may assign access to the
customer information to the Consultant for the purposes of soliciting supply and service bids on behalf of
the City. The Consultant is bound by confidentiality requirements in this regard, and shall only access and
utilize consumer data at the direction of the City. Customer account information will be considered
confidential and will not be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, except as required by law.
I. The City is not responsible for providing electricity to the members of the Aggregation, or for billing or
collecting for electricity provided under any ARES power supply agreement, and has no responsibility
beyond the duties described herein. ComEd will continue to provide a single bill to Aggregation Members
for all electrical charges.
V. ROLE OF THE AGGREGATION CONSULTANT
A. Duties. The Aggregation Consultant shall advise the Consortium and the City and shall assist the City with
the development and implementation of its Municipal Aggregation Program, including advising staff and
elected officials on all aspects of the program; developing all necessary documents, soliciting and reviewing
bids received, making recommendations as appropriate, and monitoring the ARES’ compliance with the
requirements of the Power Supply Agreement.
B. Required Independence and Disclosures. As required by the Electric Service Customer Choice Act, 220 ILCS
5/16-101 et seq., the Consultant will be in a fiduciary relationship with the Consortium and owes the
Consortium and its participating municipalities the duty of loyalty and independent judgment. The
Consultant will be disqualified if it acts as the agent for any ICC-certified ARES. It is the duty of the Consultant
to disclose any such relationships to the Consortium and to the City and to terminate its agency for the ARES
in the event of such a relationship. Breach of these terms may result in the termination by the Consortium
of the agreement between the Consortium and the Consultant.
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 6
C. Fee. The Consultant shall be paid directly by the Consortium in accordance with the separate agreement
between the Consortium and the Consultant. The Consortium will be reimbursed by the ARES with whom
the City enters into a Power Supply Agreement, in a manner to be approved by the Consortium and the City.
D. Confidentiality. The Consultant shall not have access to any confidential customer account information
unless so allowed by the City and bound by a confidentiality agreement. In the event the Consultant
becomes privy to any confidential customer account information, it agrees not to use that information for
any purposes outside the scope of the services provided by its agreement with the Consortium, and
specifically agrees not to use for itself, or to sell, trade, disseminate or otherwise transfer, that information
to any other party for any purpose other than in furtherance of the Aggregation Program.
E. Consortium Assistance. The Consultant shall advise the City on any changes in laws, rules, tariffs or any
other regulatory matter that impacts the Aggregation during the term of the Power Supply Agreement.
F. Ownership of Work Product. The Consultant shall not: (1) use any City or Consortium work product for any
other client; or (2) represent any City or Consortium work product as its own.
VI. POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT
The City, at its option, will execute a Power Supply Agreement with the selected ARES, in accordance with the
following:
A. Term. The City’s first Power Supply Agreement shall be for a minimum of a one-year period. If the
Agreement is extended or renewed, the Consultant will notify the City of changes in the rules of the ICC and
IPA that require changes in rates or service conditions. The City will have the discretion to set the length of
any subsequent contract term.
B. Rate. The agreement shall specify the approved rates or pricing structure and the power mix for the
Program, and shall specify additional fees (if any).
C. Supply of Power. The ARES shall supply electricity for the program that includes: (1) the minimum renewable
energy resources required by the State of Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard; and (2) at the option of the
City, electricity that exceeds the current renewable energy resource requirements of the Illinois Renewable
Portfolio Standard by securing Renewable Energy Credits sourced through PJM-registered hydroelectric,
wind, solar, photovoltaic or captured methane-landfill gas.
D. Compliance with Requirements in the Bid. The agreement shall require the ARES to maintain all required
qualifications, and to provide all services required pursuant to the Joint Power Supply Bid.
E. Compliance with Plan. The Agreement shall require the ARES to provide all services in compliance with this
Plan, as may be amended. Specifically, and without limitation of the foregoing, the ARES shall provide the
City with such reports and information as required in this Plan.
F. Non-Competition. The ARES must agree not to solicit or contract directly with eligible Aggregation Program
members for service or rates outside the Aggregation Program, and agrees not to use the member
information for any other marketing purposes.
Deleted: The Power Supply Agreement may also provide that
the City and the ARES will cooperate in good faith to implement a
process by which individual customers may elect, in their sole
discretion and at their own expense, electricity in excess of the
current renewable energy resource requirements of the Illinois
Renewable Portfolio Standard.
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 7
G. Hold Harmless. The ARES must agree to hold the City harmless from any and all financial obligations arising
from the Program.
H. Insurance. The ARES shall obtain and maintain, for the duration of the Power Supply Agreement, such proof
of insurance and performance security as the City deems necessary.
I. Additional Services. The Agreement may provide that the ARES will assist the City in developing a Member
Education Plan. The Agreement may provide that the ARES will assist the City in developing Energy Efficiency
and/or Demand Response programs. The Agreement will not preclude the City from developing its own
Member Education, Energy Efficiency, and Demand Response programs. The Agreement may also provide
that the ARES will assist the City in developing and managing programs that expand Member access to
energy-related services and products deemed appropriate by the City.
J. Fees and Charges:
1. Additional Fees Prohibited. Neither the City nor the ARES will impose any terms, conditions,
fees, or charges on any Member served by the Program unless the particular term, condition,
fee, or charge is: (a) identified in this Plan; and (b) clearly disclosed to the Member at the time
the Member enrolls in, or chooses not to opt out of, the Program.
2. ComEd will continue to bill for late payments, delivery charges, and monthly service fees. These
charges apply whether or not a Member switches to the ARES.
3. Termination, Enrollment, and Switching Fees shall not be charged except as permitted by this
Plan.
K. Costs. All costs of the aggregation program development and administration will be paid by the ARES.
Specifically, and without limitation of the foregoing, the ARES shall reimburse the City for all professional,
legal, Consultant, and administrative costs incurred by the City in connection with its adoption of its
Aggregation Program and the negotiation and execution of the Power Supply Agreement.
L. Termination of Service.
1. End of Term. The Power Supply Service Agreement with the ARES will terminate upon its
expiration. In the event that a renewal or new Power Supply Service Agreement has not been
executed, the ARES will continue to provide service on a month to month basis after the
expiration of the contract term until the City provides it with 30 day written notice to
discontinue providing service, at the rate set forth in the Power Supply Service Agreement.
2. Early Termination. The City will have the right to terminate the Power Supply Agreement prior
to the expiration of the term in the event the ARES commits any act of default. Acts of default
include but are not limited to the following:
a. Breach of confidentiality regarding Member information;
b. The disqualification of the ARES to perform the services due to the lapse or revocation of
any required license or certification identified as a qualification in the Joint Power Supply
Bid;
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 8
c. Com Ed’s termination of its relationship with the ARES;
d. Any act or omission which constitutes deception by affirmative statement or practice, or by
omission, fraud, misrepresentation, or a bad faith practice;
e. Billing in excess of the approved rates and charges;
f. Billing or attempting to collect any charge other than the approved kWh rates and
contractually approved charges; or
g. Failure to perform at a minimum level of customer service required by the City.
Upon termination for any reason, the City will notify ComEd to return the Aggregation Members to the Default
Tariff Service. Upon termination, each individual Member will receive written notification from the City of the
termination of the Program.
VII. PRICING
A. Commodity Price Rate or Structure. The Consortium and the Consultant will request and consider fixed or
variable commodity price offers from one or more ARES as part of a competitive procurement process.
B. Recording. The commodity price or price structure established for the Consortium will be added to the
pricing appendix in each Consortium participant’s Power Supply Agreement. Costs associated with
additional Renewable Energy Credits may be added to the commodity price or price structure settlement at
the discretion of the City.
VIII. IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES
A. Development of Member Database. Pursuant to ICC regulations, after this Plan is approved by the City, the
City Manager or his or her designee will then submit a Direct Access Request and Government Authority
Aggregation Form to ComEd (ILL.C.C. No.10 Rate GAP Government Aggregation Protocols, Sheets 406-411,
April 17, 2011), requesting that it provide the City with Retail Customer Identification Information. ComEd
will provide the City with the requested information within 10 business days after receiving the request in
accordance with those adopted protocols.
After selecting and contracting with an ARES, the City, with the assistance of the Consultant, under
confidential agreement with the ARES, will work with the ARES to remove any customers determined to be
ineligible due to one or more of the following:
1. The customer is not located within the City;
2. The customer has a pre-existing agreement with another ARES and has not delivered to the City
a written request to switch to the Aggregation Program;
3. The customer has free ComEd service;
4. The customer is an hourly rate ComEd customer (real time pricing);
5. The customer is on ComEd’s electric heat rate;
Deleted: <#>Pricing Methodology. The City and the Consortium
intend to establish a price for the purchase of electricity for the
Program by first setting a fixed price for the vendor margin to be
paid to the selected ARES, and then by adding the established
vendor margin to the market price. The City and the Consortium
reserve the right to establish a price through a different
methodology as may be developed by the City, the Consortium,
and the selected ARES. ¶
<#>¶
<#>Commodity Price Settlement. The Consortium and the
Consultant will request and receive from the selected ARES daily
market price quotes for a period of not less than 12 months, upon:
(i) the approval of the referendum in each municipality
participating in the Consortium; (ii) approval by each municipality
of the Program and the Plan; and (iii) execution by each
municipality of its Power Supply Agreement with the selected
ARES. The daily market price quotes will detail the line item costs
of energy supply, capacity, transmission, and ancillary services
available to the Consortium that day. The daily market price
quotes will be reviewed by the Consultant to establish that the
individual pricing details are (i) consistent with market prices and
tariffs; and (ii) consistent with the terms of the Power Supply
Agreement. If the daily market price quote is deemed
unacceptable, the Consortium municipalities will not be obligated
to accept the pricing. If the daily market price quote is deemed
acceptable by the Consultant, the Consultant will inform the
representatives of each Consortium participant of the price and
pricing components and recommend acceptance. If accepted, the
representatives of each Consortium participant will affirm
acceptance of the commodity price plus the approved vendor
margin verbally and in writing to the selected ARES on that same
day. ¶
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 9
6. The customer has a community solar subscription; or
7. The customer is on a ComEd bundled hold (i.e. the customer recently terminated service from
a different ARES and re-established service through ComEd).
The ARES and the City will complete this eligibility review within 5 business days.
The Retail Customer Identification Information will remain the property of the City, and the ARES will comply
with the confidentiality and non-compete provisions in the Power Supply Agreement.
After the Retail Customer Identification Information is reviewed, the ARES will mail the Opt-Out Notices
described below to all eligible account holders within the boundaries of the City.
Except as expressly permitted in the Power Supply Agreement, the ARES shall treat all customers equally
and shall not deny service to any customer in the Aggregation, or alter rates for different classes of
customers other than by offering the rates set forth in the Power Supply Agreement.
B. Maintenance of Accurate and Secure Customer Records. The ARES will maintain a secure database of
Customer Account Information. The database will include the ComEd account number, and ARES account
number of each active Member, and other pertinent information such as rate code, rider code (if applicable),
and usage and demand history. The database will be updated on an ongoing basis.
The ARES shall preserve the confidentiality of all Aggregation Members’ account information and of the
database, and shall agree to adopt and follow protocols to preserve that confidentiality. The ARES, as a
material condition of any contract, shall not disclose, use, sell or provide customer account information to
any person, firm or entity for any purpose outside the operation of this Municipal Aggregation Program.
This provision will survive the termination of the agreement. The City, upon receiving customer information
from ComEd, shall be subject to the limitations on the disclosure of that information described in Section
2HH of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505/2HH. The ARES will keep Customer
Account Information for a minimum of two years following the termination of the Power Supply Agreement.
C. Opt-Out Process. The City’s Aggregation is an opt-out program pursuant to 20 ILCS 3855/1-92. Any eligible
electric account that opts out of the Program pursuant to the procedures stated below will automatically be
placed on the ComEd default tariff service unless and until the accountholder chooses another ARES.
1. Manner of Providing Notices and Information. The ARES will be required to pay for printing and
mailing of all Aggregation and Opt-Out Notices on City envelope and letterhead. The ARES will
mail Aggregation and Opt-Out Notices to the eligible account holders within the boundaries of
the City at the address provided with the Retail Customer Identification Information provided
by ComEd. The ARES must manage the Opt-Out Notice process under the supervision of the
City and the Consultant. A single database must be used to track account enrollment and billing
data.
2. Content of Notice. The City and the ARES will agree to the format and contents of the
Aggregation and Opt-Out Notices prior to distribution or mailing. No such Notice shall be
distributed or mailed except upon the express prior approval of the City. The Notice will inform
the electric account owner of the existence of the Aggregation Program, the identity of the
Deleted: or
Deleted: 6
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 10
ARES, and the rates to be charged. The Notice will also inform PIPP customers of the
consequences of participating in the Aggregation.
The Notice will provide a method for customers to opt out of the Aggregation Program. The
Notice shall indicate that it is from the City, and include the City name and logo on the envelope.
The Notice shall be signed by a duly-authorized representative of the City.
Aggregation Members shall have 21 calendar days from the postmark date on the notice to mail
the Opt-Out card back to the ARES stating their intention to opt out of the City Aggregation
Program (“Opt-Out Period”). The ARES may offer additional means of opting out, such as a toll-
free number, website, smart device quick response code, email address or fax number, each of
which must be received within the Opt-Out Period. Upon receipt of an opt-out reply, the ARES
will remove the account from the Aggregation Program. The time to respond shall be calculated
based on the postmark date of the notice to the customer and the postmark date of the
customer’s response.
After the expiration of the Opt-Out Period, the Member list shall become final. All customers
who have not opted out will be automatically enrolled as Members in the Program. Customers
will not need to take any affirmative steps in order to be included in the Program.
In the event that an eligible Aggregation Member is inadvertently not sent an Opt-Out Notice,
or is inadvertently omitted from the Program, the ARES will work with the City and the Member
to ensure that the Member’s decision to remain in, or opt out of, the Program is properly
recorded and implemented by the ARES.
3. Notification to ComEd. Pursuant to ILL.C.C. No.10, Rate GAP, after the Opt-Out Notice period
has expired, the ARES shall submit the account numbers of participating Aggregation Members
to ComEd and the rate to be charged to those members pursuant to the Power Supply
Agreement. The ARES will provide that information to ComEd in the format ComEd requires.
4. ComEd will then notify members that they have been switched to the ARES and provide the
member with the name and contact information of the ARES. Members will have the option to
rescind their participation in the program according to procedures established by ComEd and
the ARES.
D. Activation of Service. Upon notification to ComEd, the ARES will begin to provide electric power supply to
the members of the Aggregation Program without affirmative action from the members. The service will
begin on the member’s normal meter read date within a month when power deliveries begin under the
Aggregation Program.
E. Enrollments:
1. New Accounts. The ARES must facilitate the addition of new member accounts to the
Aggregation Program during the term of the Power Supply Agreement. Residents and
businesses that move into the community after the Opt-Out Period will NOT be automatically
included in the Aggregation Program. Members wishing to opt-in to the Aggregation Program
may contact the ARES to obtain enrollment information. All new accounts shall be entitled to
the rates set forth in the Power Supply Agreement.
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 11
2. Re-Joining the Aggregation Group. After opting out, Members may rejoin the Program at a later
date in the same manner as new residents moving into the City. These members may contact
the ARES at any time to obtain enrollment information. The ARES must make commercially
reasonable efforts to provide electric power supply to all such re-joining Members at the rates
set forth in the Power Supply Agreement.
3. Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) participation. The ARES must facilitate billing for
residents enrolled in the PIPP bill payment assistance program for low-income residential
customers. The ARES must also notify PIPP customers of the consequences of participating in
the Aggregation.
4. Change of Address. Members who move from one location to another within the corporate
limits of the City shall retain their participant status, pursuant to Section VIII.G.4 of this Plan.
5. The ARES will establish procedures and protocols to work with ComEd on an ongoing basis to
add, delete or change any member participation or rate information.
F. Member Services:
1. Program Management and Documentation: The ARES must have standard operating
procedures in place that govern Member education, Opt-out notification, Member inquiries,
and public outreach regarding the Aggregation Program.
2. Member Inquiries.
a. Procedures for Handling Customer Complaints and Dispute Resolution. Concerns regarding
service reliability should be directed to ComEd, billing questions should be directed to
ComEd or the ARES, and any unresolved disputes should be directed to the ICC.
b. Telephone Inquiries. The ARES must maintain a local or toll-free telephone access line
which will be available to Aggregation Members 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained
company representatives will be available to respond to customer telephone inquiries
during normal business hours. After normal business hours, the access line may be
answered by a service or an automated response system, including an answering machine.
Inquiries received after normal business hours must be responded to by a trained company
representative on the next business day. Under normal operating conditions, telephone
answer times by a customer representative, including wait time, shall not exceed 30
seconds when the connection is made. If the call needs to be transferred, transfer time
shall not exceed 30 seconds. These standards shall be met no less than 90 percent of the
time under normal operating conditions, measured on a quarterly basis.
c. Internet and Email. The ARES must establish and maintain a website for the Aggregation
Members. The website will provide basic information concerning the Aggregation Program
and will facilitate member inquiries by providing a platform for the submission of questions
by email or text. Responses to inquiries submitted through the website platform must be
generated within 24 hours.
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Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 12
d. Multilingual Services. The ARES must provide customer service for Members requiring non-
English verbal and written assistance.
e. Hearing Impaired. The ARES must provide customer service for hearing impaired Members.
3. The ARES will provide the Aggregation Members with updates and disclosures mandated by ICC
and IPA rules.
G. Billing and Fees.
1. Collection and credit procedures remain the responsibility of ComEd and the individual
Aggregation Member. Members are required to remit and comply with the payment terms of
ComEd. The City will not be responsible for late payment or non-payment of any Member
accounts. Neither the City nor the ARES shall have separate credit or deposit policies for
Members.
2. Early Termination. Members may terminate service from the ARES without penalty if they
relocate outside of the City. Members who did not opt out of the Program during the Opt-Out
Period and who later leave the Program for other reasons may be assessed an early termination
fee by the ARES in the amount set forth in the Power Supply Agreement, but in no event in an
amount greater than $25.
3. Enrollment Fee. For any new Member that joins the Program after the activation of service by
the ARES for the City, the ARES may charge an enrollment fee only to establish service at a
property for which the ARES had not previously provided service in the preceding 30 days. The
ARES shall not charge any enrollment fee with respect to any property for which the identity of
the Member is changed but at which service is interrupted for a period of less than 30 days. Any
enrollment fee authorized pursuant to this Paragraph shall be in the amount set forth in the
Power Supply Agreement, but in no event in an amount greater than $25.
4. Switching Fee. Members changing residency within the City will not be assessed early
termination or enrollment fees. The ARES shall continue service at the same rate and under the
same terms and conditions for any Member who relocates within the City prior to the expiration
of the contract term, providing that the Member notifies the ARES of his or her desire to do so
with 30 days’ notice. Moving within the City may cause the Member to be served for a brief
period of time by ComEd. The ARES shall have the right to bill the participant for any associated
switching fee imposed by ComEd.
H. Reliability of Power Supply: The Program will only affect the generation source of power. ComEd will
continue to deliver power through their transmission and distribution systems. Responsibility for
maintaining system reliability continues to rest with ComEd. If Members have service reliability problems,
they should contact ComEd for repairs. The ICC has established “Minimum Reliability Standards” for all
utilities operating distribution systems in Illinois. Member outages, duration of outages, interruptions, etc.,
are monitored to ensure reliability remains at satisfactory levels. In addition to maintaining the “wires”
system, ComEd is required to be the “Provider of Last Resort,” meaning that should the Vendor fail for any
reason to deliver any or all of the electricity needed to serve the Members’ needs, ComEd will immediately
provide any supplemental electricity to the Members as may be required. ComEd would then bill the ARES
for the power provided on their behalf, and the Members would incur no additional cost therefor.
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Plan of Operation and Governance
Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network 13
IX. ADDITIONAL SERVICE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
A. Member Education. At the direction of the City, the ARES will assist the City in developing a Member
Education Plan.
B. Reporting. The ARES will provide to the City and to the Consultant the following reports:
1. Power Mix Reporting. The ARES will deliver quarterly reports to the City and the Consultant
which substantiate that: (a) it generated or purchased electricity with the claimed attributes in
amounts sufficient to match actual consumption by the City; (b) the electricity was supplied to
the interconnected grid serving the City.
The report will show the source of the power and demonstrate that the power was provided in
accordance with Renewable Portfolio Standards and the federal Clean Air Act regulations and
permits.
2. REC Reporting. The ARES will deliver reports that provide competent and reliable evidence to
support the fact that it purchased properly certified REC in a sufficient quantity to offset the
non-renewable energy provided in the mix.
3. Aggregation Reports. The ARES will provide the City with quarterly reports showing the number
of Members participating in the Aggregation Program and the total cost for energy provided to
the Aggregation as compared to the ComEd’s default tariff service rates. In addition, the ARES
will report its efforts at member education.
C. Limitation of Liability. The City shall not be liable to Aggregation Members for any claims, however styled,
arising out of the aggregation program or out of any City act or omission in facilitating the Municipal
Aggregation Program.
X. INFORMATION AND COMPLAINT NUMBERS
Copies of this Plan will be available from the City free of charge at www.cityoflakeforest.com. Call 847-234-2600
for more information. Any electric customer, including any participant in the City’s aggregation program, may
contact the Illinois Commerce Commission for information, or to make a complaint against the Program, the
ARES or ComEd. The ICC may be reached toll free at 217-782-5793.
ACTION ITEM:
CONSIDERATION OF
SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
RECYCLING PARTNERSHIPS
MEMORANDUM
THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
TO: Members of the Environmental Sustainability Committee
FROM: Layla Werner, Administrative Intern
DATE: December 11, 2020
SUBJECT: Review of Single-use Plastic Bag Recycling Partnerships
Purpose and Action Requested
The City is considering engaging in a partnership to begin a single-use plastic educational recycling campaign.
While multiple companies provide recycling bins to businesses, specifically for single-use plastics, others supply
educational tools and materials for communities to conduct campaigns and challenges. Since single-use plastic
bags and other specific plastics cannot be placed in a residential recycling bin, engaging in an educational
campaign will help community members recycle effectively, utilizing the correct locations to drop off plastic
film and bags.
Conducting a single-use plastic recycling campaign aligns with the current goals of the Rethink Recycling
campaign and additional initiatives the Committee has discussed and recommended. The current environment
prohibits the use of reusable bags at grocery stores, and restaurant carry out has presented an increased use
in single-use plastic bags. Engaging with an organization to promote recycling single-use plastics at specified
locations will help the Committee work to achieve one of its many stated goals.
Review of Potential Partnerships
Staff conducted a comprehensive review of three potential partnerships that the City could engage. Each
company identified was further researched for opportunities to organize a single-use plastic bag recycling
campaign. The prospective organizations are Bunzl, Trex, and SWALCO.
Bunzl is an international distribution group that currently supplies multiple grocery stores with specific
products. While also being a distributor, they collect single-use plastic bags from business locations that are
then provided to manufactures to use in the production of new products. Bunzl does not offer educational
tools, community campaign support, pamphlets, or literature.
Trex is a composite decking company that utilizes single-use plastics to create an eco-friendly, easy to maintain
alternatives to traditional wood decking. Their boards contain 95% recycled materials, and the company saves
400 million pounds of plastic and wood from landfills annually. Trex offers a sufficient amount of educational
tools, at no cost, which can be utilized by communities, universities, and other organizations interested in
conducting a recycling challenge. Jewel-Osco in Lake Forest and Kohl's in Vernon Hills currently partner with
Trex and are already designated pickup locations for single-use plastic bags. The Village of Northbrook and the
Village of Mount Prospect currently utilize drop off locations at local businesses provided by Trex. Additional
information from Trex is attached below.
220 EAST DEERPATH * LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS 60045 * TEL 847.234.2600 *
WWW.CITYOFLAKEFOREST.COM
SWALCO (the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) has an overall goal to provide Lake County residents with
the programs and infrastructure necessary to divert as much material from final disposal as possible.
Unfortunately, they do not currently have an educational campaign for single-use plastic bags, though further
discussion with the group offered a potential future partnership to begin a campaign county-wide. Additional
information provided by SWALCO is attached below.
Next Steps/ Action Requested
Staff will present its findings during the Committee meeting and will be requesting direction from the
Committee to proceed with engaging in a partnership and conducting a single-use plastic recycling campaign.
ADDITIONAL ITEM:
REVIEW OF
SUSTAINABILITY
INITIATIVES &
PRIORITIES
CITY OF LAKE FOREST Updated 12/11/2020
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT IDEA LOG
Category Project or Policy Initiative Basic Scope Source Document Triage Vetting
Priority Level
1 = ≥50
2 = 25-49
3 = <25 Recommended Next Step
Energy Efficiency & Renewable
Energy
Municipal-Sponsored Community Solar
Program
Launch community solar program to secure access to
community solar subscriptions for Lake Forest
residents.
Sustainability Plan N/A N/A N/A In Process
Waste Infrastructure &
Management Rethink Recycling Campaign
Develop programs/policies to increase the recycling
rate and encourage responsible disposal of non-
recyclable waste.
Sustainability Plan N/A N/A N/A In Process
Energy Efficiency & Renewable
Energy
Community Choice Aggregation Program
(100% Renewable Energy Credit)
Explore opportunity to engage in a community choice
aggregation (CCA) program to procure power on behalf
of residents, businesses, and municipal accounts from
an alternative energy supplier that offers 100% green
energy.
Sustainability Plan 4 66 1 Explore Policy Action or Modification to
Operations, Ordinance, Codes
Sustainable Development
Create a framework to encourage and
support investments by private property
owners in sustainable development.
Consider incentives such as streamlined review
processes and reduced permit fees, or regulations, to
encourage developers and property owners to
incorporate green building materials, techniques and
practices into development and redevelopment
projects. Including, but not limited to: pervious rather
than impervious surfaces, reduced hardscape, rain
gardens, solar installations, geo-thermal installations,
use of natural/recyclable/recycled materials, building
designs that reduce the need for heating and cooling
and exterior lighting that respects the “right to night”.
Sustainability Plan 4 66 1
In Process - New Solar installation/geo
thermal/wind permit fees established for
FY2022
Ecosystem Vitality & Ravine
Conservation
Ecosystem Land Management & Ravine
Conservation Initiatives
Explore and/or promote capital projects and Initiatives
that enhance natural land management and
ecoysystem investment. May include expanding
infrastructure, habitats, ecosystems, and natural
resource conservation and revegetation of open
spaces and areas including ravines.
ESC 4 66 1 Explore Policy Action or Modification to
Operations, Ordinance, Codes
Project Scoring
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT IDEA LOG
Category Project or Policy Initiative Basic Scope Source Document Triage Vetting
Priority Level
1 = ≥50
2 = 25-49
3 = <25 Recommended Next Step
Project Scoring
Climate & Resilience City-wide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Inventory and Climate Action Plan
Update/complete a City-wide greenhouse gas
emissions inventory completed in 2007-2009, which
was a comprehensive community-wide inventory of
greenhouse gases measured wtihin Lake Forest. These
include cabron dioxide, methane, ntirous oxide,
perfluorocabons, hydrofluorocarbons and sulphur
hexafluoride. Inventory identifies baseline data and
projects greenhouse gas emissions absent any
reduction measures. Explore the development of a
comprehensive plan to help the City and its partners
reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The plan
identifies a starting point for emissions, helps establish
goals for reduction targets, and tactics for how best to
achieve those targets.
MIST Assessment 4 64 1 Explore Policy Action or Modification to
Operations, Ordinance, Codes
Stormwater Management &
Water Usage Coal Tar Sealant Ordinance
Support policies that remove pollutants from runoff
water by encouraging the use of coal tar alternative
sealants when maintaining driveways and parking lots
within the City. According to the U.S. Geologic Survey,
a coal tar sealcoat degrades over time into small
particles with high levels of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) which is a known carcinogen. This
initiative would include the consideration of an
ordinance discouraging or banning the use of coal-tar
based sealants in Lake Forest.
Outside Group 4 63 1 Explore Policy Action or Modification to
Operations, Ordinance, Codes
Stormwater Management &
Water Usage Forward "Gray to Green" Initiatives
Strive to reduce impervious cover and promote green
infrastructure treatments and encourge the use of
emerging methods to reduce runoff volumes for
projects included in the City's capital improvement
plan covering various City assets (e.g. storm sewers,
gas light conversions, and parking lots).
Sustainability Plan 4 62 1
In Process - Storm water control structure
proposed FY2022, Various sustainability
design enhancements funded for FY2022.
Waste Infrastructure &
Management Increased Access to Residential Composting
Expand access and programs for composting to
residents, or seek partnerships to promote and expand
compositing practices locally.
Sustainability Plan 4 62 1 Explore Policy Action or Modification to
Operations, Ordinance, Codes
Municipal Governance Structure Sustainability Intern/Consulting Services
Explore opportunities to secure ongoing sustainability
consulting services support to forward programs and
goals of the Environmental Sustainability Committee,
either through partnerships with the Greenest Region
Corps (GRCorps) program or Environmental Consulting
Agency.
City Staff 4 58 1 Review Opportunities as part of Annual
Operating Budget Planning Process
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT IDEA LOG
Category Project or Policy Initiative Basic Scope Source Document Triage Vetting
Priority Level
1 = ≥50
2 = 25-49
3 = <25 Recommended Next Step
Project Scoring
Budget & Funding
Incorporate Sustainability into Capital and
Operating Budget Planning - Create
"Sustainability Fund"
Dedicate source funding to support new or supplement
existing projects with environmental sustainability-
focused initiatives or improvements (e.g. enhance
project designs, upgrade capital equipment, etc.).
MIST Assessment 4 54 1 In Process
Energy Efficiency & Renewable
Energy Solar Panel Installations on City Facilities
Investigate purchasing and installing solar panels on
city facilities to help offset energy consumption and
usage.
Sustainability Plan 4 52 1 Review Opportunities as part of Annual
Capital Planning Budget Process
Transportation & Mobility "Green Fleet" Initiative
Strive to consider gasoline-alternative/bio-diesel
alternatives for capital equipment replacements and
new purchases (e.g. hybrid/electric vehicles,
electric/battery-powered equipment, etc.).
Sustainability Plan 4 52 1 In Process - Hybrid Administrative Vehicle
procured for FY2022
Transportation & Mobility Electric Vehicle Sticker Incentive
Evaluate incentives for fuel-efficient and electric
vehicles, including a reduction in the cost of a vehicle
sticker, or other, for residents.
ESC 4 51 1 Explore Policy Action or Modification to
Operations, Ordinance, Codes
Transportation & Mobility EV Charging Station Installation Explore opportunities to install or expand access to EV
Charging Stations in City municipal parking lots.Sustainability Plan 4 50 1 In Process - Funding secured for installation
of EV Station in FY2022
Health & Wellness Gas Powered Landscape Equipment
Support policies that address the usage of gas-
powered landscape equipment (e.g. leaf blowers,
mowers, trimmers, etc.). This initiative would include
the consideration of an ordinance, policy, or marketing
campaign to discourage, reduce hours of operation, or
limit/prohibit gas-powered equipment to be used in
Lake Forest.
Outside Group 3 47 2 Further Research and Deliberation Needed
by ESC
Health & Wellness Anti-Idling Initiative
Support policies that reduce air pollution from the
City's fleet and equpiment, and that reduce idling in
the CIty. This initiative would include the consideration
of an ordinance, policy, or marketing campaign to
discourage idling on City-owned property in Lake
Forest.
Sustainability Plan 3 45 2 Further Research and Deliberation Needed
by ESC
Waste Infrastructure &
Management
Decreased use of Plastic Bags and
Polystyrene
Consider an Ordinance regulating or enacting
disincentives for the use of single-use plastics within
the City.
Sustainability Plan 3 45 2 Further Research and Deliberation Needed
by ESC
Municipal Governance Structure Develop "Green Purchasing Policy"
Enhance purchasing policy to promote
green/environmentally-preferable procurement
procedures.
Sustainability Plan 3 40 2 Further Research and Deliberation Needed
by ESC
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT IDEA LOG
Category Project or Policy Initiative Basic Scope Source Document Triage Vetting
Priority Level
1 = ≥50
2 = 25-49
3 = <25 Recommended Next Step
Project Scoring
Ecosystem Vitality & Ravine
Conservation Biodiversity Recovery Plan
Develop a Plan to provide guidance on maintaining,
restoring, and preserving the integrity of open space in
Lake Forest.
Sustainability Plan Partner with LFOLA
Health & Wellness Community Gardening Initiative
Expand access to health foods by implementing a
community gardening initiative and providing
farming/nutrition based educational opportunities or
partnership opportunities with local agencies (e.g.
Elawa Farm).
Strategic Plan Partner with ELAWA, School District 67