CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive the report on the Naperville Electric Utility and changes in consumer behavior
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DEPARTMENT: Electric Utility
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Groth, Electric Utility Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
For 125 years, the Electric Utility has provided electric service to Naperville’s residential and business communities. As a municipally-owned utility, day-to-day operations are overseen by a professional director. The City Council receives recommendations from the Public Utilities Advisory Board and ultimately serves in a role similar to that of a privately-owned utility’s board of directors.
With several key decision points coming up over the next year, utility staff has prepared a series of educational presentations for the Council to provide relevant information on historical decisions, how the utility operates, how customer energy usage has evolved over the past two decades, and potential options for the utility’s long-term energy needs beyond 2035.
The accompanying PowerPoint presentation will be distributed with the Agenda Q&A on Monday, May 20.
DISCUSSION:
The May 21 presentation focuses on how the conversation around energy has changed over the past two decades. There has been a shift in consumer behavior and sustainability trends that impact the Electric Utility’s business. The City’s utility customers are embracing sustainable technologies. However, this change has a direct impact on how structure rates are set. The utility must balance this evolving trend with the strong emphasis on reliability. The goal of the briefings over the last few months is to provide Council with information and a shared knowledge base to help make strategic decisions. This includes the utility’s upcoming rate study to determine rates for 2025 - 2028 and a decision on how to fulfill the energy supply and required service needs after September 2035.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A