Winnetka's Energy Future

In June, Winnetka's Village Council voted unanimously to extend its contract with Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA), a cooperative that supplies power to 32 municipalities across the state.

The deal, inked 10 years before the existing contract ran out, locked Winnetka into an agreement that does the following:

• Lasts until 2055
• Includes no fixed prices, rate protections, and no binding commitments to cut emissions
• Keeps the village tied to Prairie State and another coal facility in Kentucky
• Contains no early termination clause

Signed, sealed, and delivered: Winnetka is IMEA's.

Note: Here are the links to the June 3, 2025 Village Council Meeting and the June 17, 2025 Village Council Meeting, where this was debated and approved.

A Tale of Three Cities

The village's decision stands in contrast to two Northern Illinois communities, which are also part of IMEA and have the greatest populations of the 32 IMEA Members:

• St. Charles rejected the IMEA extension outright, voting 8–1 against.
• Naperville made a counterproposal with major changes, including an early exit clause and the ability to generate more of its own power.

Joe Hus, a leader of the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST), helped persuade the city council not to sign the IMEA contract extension.

"From an environmental perspective, [the early contract extension] was shocking: we were being asked to sign a $3 billion, no-bid deal to buy coal power until 2055. In any other industry, procurement rules would never allow it."

If Naperville's terms are approved, Winnetka could benefit, because IMEA's contracts must be identical for all members. That means any new terms Naperville negotiates—such as an earlier exit clause or greater renewable energy flexibility—would also apply to Winnetka.

If Naperville's terms are not approved, Winnetka is locked into the deal.

"This is about more than just energy supply," Hus said. "It's about financial responsibility, environmental sustainability, and whether communities like Winnetka and Naperville will be locked into outdated coal contracts—or move toward the cheaper, cleaner renewable energy future already transforming the grid."

The Larger Context

Coal plants like Prairie State are under increasing pressure.

Illinois' Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) mandates the shutdown of all coal and gas power plants by 2045.

Nationwide, utilities are shifting to solar and wind—now the most cost effective sources of electricity, according to the widely cited Levelized Cost of Energy + Report by Lazard investment bank as well as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In 2023, more than 95% of new power capacity added in the U.S. came from renewables.

Meanwhile, according to an EPA 2023 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report from Large Facilities, Prairie State Generating Station reported roughly 11.0 million metric tons CO2-equivalent in a recent reporting year -- and ranks among the nation's highest-emitting power plants at #7.

The Council's Reasoning

After unanimously approving the extension, the trustees explained their reasoning in a statement.

"The decision to extend the contract with IMEA was not taken lightly at all. We reviewed the issue for 14 months, including 5 study sessions on the topic, where extensive public comment was heard. We participated in the Winnetka Future Energy Coalition Forum, spoke with businesspeople directly involved with supplying equipment to the power grid, and met with an energy consultant on multiple occasions, who investigated the Village's options with power marketers that supply power to municipalities, and reported back his findings."

And the trustees reaffirmed a commitment to renewable energy, noting that the early contract renewal would provide IMEA with funds to help it transition to renewable energy.

"We understand that on the surface it looks like we are supporting electricity from coal generation. This is not the case: we are maintaining our existing outstanding, reliable, and affordable delivery of electricity to Winnetka's homes and businesses and supporting our energy supplier in its plans to move toward carbon-neutral generation."

See The Council's IMEA Statement in its entirety.

Residents Didn't Feel Heard

While having study sessions is commendable, some residents who attended left feeling that they were more for show than a genuine exploration of alternatives.

Experts stepped forward, residents gave meaningful input, and ultimately felt that their input was neither valued nor influential: the village council was always going to extend the contract despite arguments about more cost-effective possibilities and environmental opportunities.

One disenfranchised resident is Conrad Winker, who presented via video to the council regarding his knowledge on the subject -- his business runs a steel plant in Ohio, the largest consumer of power in the state. His 3 minute video statement can be seen here.

Village Council Tone

Of note, residents believe the trustees are not being sincere.

In fact, if you listen to the meeting comments -- at 1:33 on the June 17, the contempt at least one trustee felt is clear:

"We have read and listened to each and every comment from village residents in council, on the streets and we discuss the scenarios…we've spoken to the people you recommended and that's how we arrived at this. It wasn't taken lightly so I'm a little frustrated when words like reckless or pro-coal and, um, cost is not really a consideration. That's a little frustrating to hear up here to be honest with you nothing could be further from the truth in how we've gone after this."

Upon watching the video, it is understandable that residents didn't feel heard -- in Our Town Winnetka's view at least some members of the Council were defensive and put off by what they hearing "up here" on the elevated council dais.

It is our belief that the heart of the recurring council issues is the sense that the Council is on high and above reproach from resident input. And in watching the tap, the "How dare you" tone is blatant and maddening.

Clear Win for IMEA

"Winnetka says it cares about the environment," Roger Hochschild said, a Winnetka resident who spoke up at the Village Council Meeting. "But this deal isn't good for rates, it isn't good for the planet, and it isn't good governance."

Why This Matters

On Wednesday, October 8 is Winnetka's Annual Town Hall.

Winnetka Residents have a choice to vote for three open trustee positions from four candidates.

Please mark your calendar to attend the meeting at Skokie School between 8pm - 9:30pm.

You have a Vote in our Community's Future.