Energy Consultant Plugs Into Oak Park

Energy Choices will assist Oak Park in getting a cheaper and potentially cleaner energy supply for customers.

Trustees at Monday's Oak Park Village Board meeting awarded the Northbrook-based firm a contract of no more than $50,000 to create an aggregation plan, send out request for proposals to retail electric suppliers, examine responses and choose and contract for an electric supplier. The fee for the firm’s services will be part of the third-party supplier charge for the aggregation.

Energy Choices was one of two firms that sent in proposals, and village officials recommended the firm because of its experience in the field.

The move is in response to overwhelming approval in April of a backing Community Choice Aggregation.

The allows Oak Park to bundle power accounts from households and commercial customers and then allow energy companies to bid on them.

Public meetings to get citizen input on an aggregation plan — essentially prioritizing a mix of power sources (think: cheap vs. clean) — will be conducted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 30 and July 7 at Village Hall, 123 Madison St.