Electrical Aggregation Will Be On March Ballot

Mokena homeowners and small business owners could get a break in their electrical bill if voters pass a measure the village board put on the ballot this week.

On Monday, the board voted to ask residents "Shall the Village of Mokena have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such a program?" on the March 20 ballot.

Removing all the jargon, it's asking whether the village should shop around for a better electricity price than ComEd offers. This is called "electrical aggregation."

or read the aggregation FAQ attached to this article.

The referendum passing wouldn't necessarily mean electrical aggregation is coming. It would give the village the power to look into electrical aggregation versus the status quo and pick whichever is the cheaper option for homeowners.

"All we're asking the residents to do is tell us do they want us to look into this on their behalf," Trustee John Mazzorana said.

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One hot topic during the discussion was public hearings on the issue, with Trustee Don Labriola saying hearings should come before the vote. Mayor Joe Werner said staff will be pulling together public forums and educational events before March 20, but hearings after the election for the request for proposal documents and other decisions the board must make if the measure passes.

Watch video of the board's discussion on the referendum.