Village Officials Answer Residents' Questions About Electrical Aggregation

Officials from the Village of Frankfort outlined the potential savings residents could receive thanks to electrical aggregation at the first of two public forums Wednesday. This forum, which was hosted by Mayor Jim Holland and held at, offered a chance for residents to gain more knowledge about what exactly electrical aggregation is and provide input on the referendum that will be on the March 20 ballot.

“Municipal electrical aggregation is simply a program that allows the village to bundle residential and small commercial electric accounts and then to go out and seek bids for that instance with the objective of lower electrical costs,” Holland said.

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During the first part of the forum, Holland provided an example of what a resident's power bill could look like if the referendum passed. It showed a projected cost of power per kilowatt hour to be .0550 cents, versus the current rate of .07733 cents. In this case, the home owner had a $21.58 savings during the month thanks to electrical aggregation.

A second example outlined the potential savings aggregation could create for a small businesses in the village, which was $77.87.

However, Holland stressed that the potential savings were just that, potential. No hard numbers have been locked in by the village, he said, adding there have been initial conversations with electric companies about rates and various contract issues. But no action will be taken until after the referendum and that the village has no rooting interest in the matter, he said.

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“Nothing in this is for the village government,” Holland said. “We aren't for it or against it. It's up to the residents.”

Holland also added that there is a possibility that . As part of that group of other county municipalities, Holland said Frankfort possibly could get a better rate than if the village were to handle the switch on its own.

If the referendum does pass, Holland and Village Administrator Jerry Ducay said a decision on when to lock in an electricity rate though a new company and whether to join the governmental league would come in the months following the referendum's passage.

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 will be at an informal open house from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, at the .

YOUR TURN! Have you changed your mind about electrical aggreagation? Do you think it's a good idea? Or would you rather stick with the current system for your electricity? Share your thoughts in the comment section