The city of Naperville is soliciting bids from “qualified and experienced” vendors as officials take a deeper dive into non-fossil fuel energy options. The city’s issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) document dovetails into the broader discussions with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency.
Last month, the city council voted, 7-2, in favor of negotiating an addendum to IMEA’s contract, which currently runs through 2035. IMEA representatives have been seeking a 20-year extension to the existing agreement for member municipalities.
Amid the contract extension talks, the Naperville City Council in last month’s vote included a 10-point list of provisions as the municipality left the door open to potentially continuing an agreement with the IMEA. One of the provisions was the RFP as carbon-free options are explored.
The council voted in favor of moving forward with the RFP document, as presented, at its Tuesday, Sept. 16 meeting.
Details of the RFP and how it ties into the IMEA discussion
In a memo to the council, Brian Groth, the city’s electric utility director, explained how the non-fossil fuel RFP relates to the IMEA contract extension talks.
The RFP, Groth wrote, “will be issued to identify suppliers, projects and other resources that may be available, should the city enter into a contract with the IMEA and choose to supplement the energy supply with a dedicated non-fossil fuel energy source exclusive for Naperville.”
“The objective of this solicitation is to secure reliable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable energy supply that aligns with Naperville’s commitment to transitioning to clean energy,” said Groth, who holds a seat on IMEA’s board of directors as its vice chairman.
When asked at the council meeting about the timetable for the RFP, Groth indicated details on the submissions should come into sharper focus in November.
“I believe we’re targeting an Oct. 29th due date,” Groth said. “Once we have that back, we’ll look at the results.”
Update on IMEA contract amendment submission shared
Groth at the Sept. 16 council meeting also provided a brief update on the city’s counterproposal to the IMEA for the contract extension.
“We provided some sample language to IMEA,” Groth said. “They are still reviewing it. We expect that, over the next few weeks, to come back with their concepts, their ideas, their feedback on what we’ve provided to them.”
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