Renewable Energy

Solutions
Mayor Rod Craig’s
Wind Farm Energy
Alliance for School
Districts
 Alliance Objectives
§ Use currently approved Public
Act 095-0390 to form a wind
turbine farm alliance of School
Districts.
§ Obtain legislative approval of
HB 6660 sponsored by Rep.
Fred Crespo to mandate net
aggregate metering for school
districts that own a wind
turbine farm.

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 What Is House Bill 6660

 House Bill 6660 will mandate that any school

district, community college, or municipality
that builds a wind turbine farm will have
access to net aggregate metering for each
facility owned and operated by a school
district.

 This means that the electrical companies must

give each district that owns a farm 1 kilowatt
credit for each kilowatt produced by a wind
turbine against the aggregate bills of the
district at the current cost of electricity.

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 CASE STUDY

Erie School District 1

WIND
turbine
generation The first district in
the state to
“That’s what connect all
we were schools to their
searching for wind turbine
– a way in the without net
future, [to be] aggregate
independent metering.
of the
demands on  Additional cost of
energy, or the project to hard wire
cost of energy all the schools in the
that may be district to its one
brought in by wind turbine was
companies.” over $2,000,000
-Superintend
ent
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Mike Ryan
 PROPOSAL

Keeneyville School District 20

WIND
turbine
generation District 20’s
estimate of
“Due to the hard wiring its
rising cost of
energy, and
three school
the significant districts to its
needs of our proposed
educational
programs, turbine is
only through estimated to
creative
technology,
cost over
will we be $1,000,000.
able to meet
the District’s
mission.”

-Superintend
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The Power of Wind
Why Wind, Why Now?
 Positive Environmental Impact
– Reduced CO2 emissions
 Utility Cost Containment
– Commodity Independence
 Learning Opportunity for Students
 Increased Revenue for School Districts
to Fund Unfunded Educational Special
Education Mandates

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Do We Know The Wind Is There

“Seven meteorological towers have been

measuring wind for the past two years
in McClean County, Illinois.”
Based on the wind data collected
“ it is expected that electricity can be
generated well over 91% of the time
with minimal disturbance to the
surrounding communities and wildlife”

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How Will The Farm Be Funded

 Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam is

sponsoring legislation in the House to
extend the Clean Renewable Energy
Bond Program CREBS.
 The CREBS Program allows renewable
energy projects to obtain interest free
financing.

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What Are Our Next Steps
Timeline
 Approval of Resolution to
Support HB 6660 by the
District 300 Board.
 Passage of HB 6660 in
the Fall Veto Session
 Formation of
Intergovernmental
Agreement after
passage of District 300,
“Even a journey District 20 and Tri Valley
of a 1000 miles District 3 to jointly
begins with a construct a wind turbine
single step.” farm
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 Implementation Process
 Questions

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