MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC AGGREGATION
MEA INFORMATION
Municipal Electric Aggregation (MEA)
MEA is the result of a 2010 law that allows Illinois municipalities to purchase electricity for residents and small businesses in their community. It allows the municipality to pool the electric supply of residents and small businesses and then seek bids from retail electric suppliers (RES) on the open market for an electric rate for its pooled MEA members.
The MEA 2010 law requires municipalities to give residents and small businesses an opportunity to opt-out of municipal MEA programs. If they choose to opt-out, they can purchase electricity at the default rate or they can contract directly with a RES. These are the same choices that residents and small businesses would have if either there was no MEA or a municipality decided to not continue their MEA program.
On the “Plug In Illinois” website, is a list of retail electric suppliers that residents/small businesses could contract with to purchase electricity. The suppliers offer a variety of plans which include renewable energy, fixed/variable electricity rates, and different contract term lengths.
City of Champaign MEA Program
In March 2012, the referendum giving the City authority to establish a MEA Program passed 5,206 vs. 2,866.
MEA Provider July 2021 to July 2023
The City of Champaign has secured a contract with Energy Harbor to provide eligible residents and small businesses eligible for the Municipal Electric Aggregation Program with exclusive fixed pricing. Energy Harbor is offering a fixed rate of $0.0479 per kWh for the July 2021 through July 2023 billing cycles. On May 26, 2021, letters were mailed to eligible residents and small businesses.
The Illinois Commerce Commission part 470.240, requires the selected Retail Electric Supplier to notify customers eligible for the program, but currently on another retail electric program, of the new aggregation program and its price. Those customers will receive letters as well, but will need to “opt-in” to participate. The City’s Plan of Operation and Governance describes how the City intends to operate its MEA Program.
As with previous City MEA programs, there are no enrollment, switching, or early termination fees.
Questions
If you have questions or need additional information about municipal aggregation under Energy Harbor, please visit Energy Harbor-Champaign. Energy Harbor customer service is also available 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1-800-292-9284.
You can also contact the City of Champaign Public Works Department Customer Service staff, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 217-403-4700, or via email at PublicWorks@champaignil.gov.
Receipt of complaints.
The City of Champaign has received calls from Champaign residents and small business owners about aggressive and misleading phone and in-person solicitations being made by other energy providers and alternate residential suppliers. Any claims made by their representatives that they are confirming enrollment into the City’s program, that time to act is limited, and/or that Ameren account information must be provided to enroll in the program are false and should be disregarded. The City will never contact residents in this manner. Citizens should never compromise their security by providing Ameren account information to anyone unless you intend to enroll in an alternate program of your choosing.
Complaints about any aggressive behavior may be filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission Consumer Services Division by phone 800-524-0795 or online at http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint or with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 800-243-0618 or http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html. You may also call the Champaign Public Works Department at 217-403-4700. Citizens can also report aggressive in-person solicitations to the Champaign Police Department at 217-351-4545.
