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Guest Essay: I’m against the proposal for electric aggregation
Riccardo Mora of Norridge. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Updated: March 29, 2012 4:03PM
“The makers of our Constitution undertook to secure conditions favorable to the pursuit of happiness. They recognized the significance of man’s spiritual nature, of his feelings and of his intellect. They knew that only part of the pain, pleasure and satisfactions of life are to be found in material things. They sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred against the government, the right to be let alone—the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men,” wrote U. S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in 1928.
Norridge residents recently received a notice with their water bill informing them of a referendum placed on the ballot for the March 20 election.
The question on the ballot is: Shall the Village of Norridge 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?
I will VOTE “no.” I am opposed to the “opting out” provision because it goes against the very essence of the “right” to be left alone.
Passage of this referendum will take away the “right” to be left alone and force residents who may be indifferent, uninformed and confused to take action on this issue.
Passage of this referendum will be another government intrusion into our daily lives.
Passage of this referendum will open Pandora’s box, presenting officials the modus operandi to raise taxes. At the Feb. 7 meeting the mayor said they had no such intention.
The recent property tax increases are grim reminders of the spending by local officials and need for more revenue.
Visit the Illinois Commerce Commission website, (http://www.icc.illinois.gov/) there is an easy to use chart of electric suppliers with rates and terms. I found one offering 5.8730 per kw, which would save me $111.60 a year compared to current ComEd rates.
The best deal already made by other towns with aggregation would save me an additional $26.64.
David Hoover answered all questions by those in attendance at the Feb. 7 meeting. Hoover is the founder, 2006, and executive director of the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative, commonly known as NIMEC. A private company, NIMEC, Hoover has a vested interest in the passage of the referendum because they are paid by the suppliers that Norridge hopes to purchase electricity from for the community.
A Chicago news organization has reported there is a window of opportunity for people to save money and switch electricity suppliers that won’t necessarily continue because electricity suppliers, including ComEd purchase electricity on the open market. There may be times that ComEd will be able to offer better deals than competitors.
ComEd charges only what they pay for electricity. Their earnings come from the delivery of the electricity no matter where it comes from. ComEd will continue to deliver the electricity, maintain the wires that carry the electricity and will be the one you call when the power goes out.
ComEd’s current rate is fixed until the end of May 2012, prices for June 2012 to May 2013 will not be determined until May 2012, according to the ICC.
The next meeting will be 7 p.m. today (Thursday) at the Sieb Center, 7774 W. Irving Park Road.
Riccardo Mora is a
community activist.
