City Council Puts Power to Lower Electricity Cost into Voters' Hands

City Council members showed their support of electric aggregation Tuesday, Dec. 20, now it's up to the voters to show theirs on March 20, 2012.

Aldermen and Mayor Hank Kuspa voted the referendum onto the ballot during Tuesday's council meeting. The proposed referendum,, will ask residents for approval to aggregate, or bundle, the city’s electric services to help lower electricity rates for residents and small businesses in Oak Forest.

Public Works Director Troy Ishler explained that the City of Oak Forest has already aggregated its electric for all of the city’s buildings and work stations the past four years.

Ishler also explained that in 2010, the city signed a three-year contract with an outside provider, which saves the city $15,000 a year, or $45,000 in the next three years.

If the referendum is passed residents can still opt out of the aggregation. All electricity will continue to be delivered by ComEd, regardless of the supplier. 

The referendum reads as follows:

Should the City of Oak Forest have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program.

On the other hand, if the referendum is not passed, Ishler said, the city should still educate the public on an “opt-in program,” which gives residents the chance to opt-in to a plan with a different electric supply company.

Ishler stressed that ComEd is "indifferent" to the aggregation.

, and are also considering aggregated electricity.

Colleen Sheehan contributed to this report.