Chicago saves money on energy contract
In an effort to lower energy costs, Chicago has selected Houston-based Enron to provide 60 percent of the city’s electricity, at an estimated savings of about $3 million annually. The agreement will be the largest power purchase contract since Illinois began deregulation in 1997.
The company will provide energy for the city, the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Park District, city colleges and 48 suburban governments. An RFP was issued last year in anticipation of the state’s deregulation schedule for local governments.
Chicago also announced an agreement to get 20 percent of its electricity from locally based power provider ComEd, which uses all “green” energy sources, including wind, sun and landfill gas. In addition, the city has begun installing energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems in its public facilities.
“This is part of an overall energy management strategy that will save the city nearly $10 million annually,” Mayor Richard Daley says. “We are going to buy cheaper energy; we are going to buy less energy; and we are going to help develop a deregulated electricity market in Illinois in a way that improves the environment as well as the economy.”