On the agenda for the Naperville City Council’s February 3, 2026 7:00 PM meeting: “Consider whether to direct staff to discontinue, for the time being, negotiations for a successor power sales agreement with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA).”
The existing contract ends in 2035. The successor contract will end in 2055.
1. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO NAPERVILLE’S POWER SUPPLY IF NAPERVILLE DOES NOT EXTEND ITS IMEA CONTRACT NOW?
Nothing. Naperville’s existing contract with IMEA will remain in place until September 30, 2035. Not extending now still gives Naperville ample time to evaluate different power suppliers aligned with Naperville’s needs.
2. IF NAPERVILLE DOES NOT EXTEND ITS IMEA CONTRACT, WILL NAPERVILLE’S POWER SUPPLY BE MORE EXPENSIVE AFTER 2035?
There is no way to know because IMEA charges for power on a cost-plus basis and does not know what all of its costs will be 10 to 30 years in the future. IMEA and other power suppliers, even those that charge fixed rates, can only make predictions on what rates will be in 2035 and beyond.
3. WILL NAPERVILLE HAVE MORE CONTROL OF ITS POWER SUPPLY IF IT CHOOSES A POWER SUPPLIER OTHER THAN IMEA?
Yes. If Naperville extends its IMEA contract, it will be locked in until 2055 and cannot choose sources of power except to a limited extent for a member-directed resource. Even with weighted voting, Naperville does not have a controlling vote. With a different supplier, Naperville has control of the term and power sources. A different supplier will also allow Naperville to take advantage of new technologies, self-supply and peak shaving in an amount determined by Naperville.
4. WILL EXTENDING ITS IMEA CONTRACT REDUCE NAPERVILLE’S PURCHASE OF COAL POWER THRUGH IMEA?
Not before 2038. IMEA has not announced any plan to reduce its coal power before state law requires it in 2038. That law requires Prairie State Energy Campus to retire one of its generating units in 2038 if the plant hasn’t reduced CO2 equivalent emissions by 45%. That law does not apply to the Trimble County coal plant in IMEA’s resource portfolio.
Further details on the proposed new IMEA contract are available on our webpage:
Proposed New IMEA Contract
https://cleanenergynaperville.org/sources-and-resources/proposed-new-imea-contract/