The Waterloo City Council on Monday night heard from a local resident who expressed concerns about the city’s association with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency and recent contract extension with the energy provider through 2055. 

In the public input portion of the meeting, Tom Prost of Turtle Dove Trail explained these concerns originated with an invitation he received in the mail to join a community solar organization. Unfortunately, Prost said, Waterloo was not a qualifying city for such a program.

The U.S. Department of Energy defines community solar as any solar project or purchasing program in which the benefits flow to multiple customers such as individuals, businesses, nonprofits and other groups. In most cases, customers benefit from energy generated by solar panels at an off-site array. Community solar customers typically subscribe to or own a portion of the energy generated by a solar array and receive an electric bill credit for electricity generated by their share of the community solar system. 

“It turns out that while customers of (Ameren Illinois) like my sister in Belleville and my brother in Collinsville can join solar communities, the IMEA has a monopoly on the supply of energy available to Waterloo citizens,” Prost said.

Prost added that Waterloo is among 32 IMEA member communities that issued bonds so IMEA could purchase 15 percent of the coal-fired Prairie State Energy Campus in Marissa. Waterloo has been under contract with IMEA through 2035, but recently approved a contract extension that now runs through 2055.

“Last year, Prairie State emitted 12.4 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” Prost said. “Only six other facilities (in the country) emitted that amount.”

Prost continued by saying it is a shame that Waterloo “has chosen to commit to the use of coal and all of the pollution and damage it does to people’s health until 2055.”

Prost also criticized IMEA for lacking an official “integrated resource plan,” instead utilizing a nine-page “sustainability plan” that he said only “talks generally about renewable programs.”

He said this plan offers no specific mention of “how, when or if” transitions to green sources of energy will ever be implemented.

“It was irresponsible for the IMEA to come to Waterloo and ask for a contract extension without showing us how they intend to replace coal generation and without demonstrating with certainty whether or not their coal plants are competitive with other alternatives,” Prost said.

In an IMEA statement sent by Waterloo Mayor Stan Darter to Prost on this topic, the IMEA says it first took steps toward carbon-free generation in 2009 by procuring 70 megawatts of wind power. 

Since then, per the statement, the IMEA’s energy portfolio has become 11 percent renewable – which exceeds the current state renewable portfolio percentage of just under 7 percent.

The IMEA also confirms it has a “2050 Net Zero Sustainability Plan” and that it has advanced two wind contracts, entered into nine power agreements for municipal solar arrays, and contracted to add 25 megawatts of utility-scale solar starting in 2025.

Lastly, the IMEA said that pursuant to its sustainability plan, it is pursuing an additional 100 megawatts of new utility-scale solar for its portfolio to be energized in 2025 or 2026.

Prost ended his speech by requesting that the city council pass a resolution instructing Waterloo’s representative for IMEA to let that agency know “Waterloo believes it is imperative that IMEA conduct an independent and transparent integrated resource plan consisting of a comprehensive study of energy options to guide cost-effective decisions to meet rate payer and electric grid energy needs.”

The next meeting of the Waterloo City Council is Monday, Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.