Batavia committee approves renewable energy ordinances after weeks of discussion

The Batavia Committee of the Whole passed two resolutions related to renewable energy self-generation at its Feb. 22 meeting.

The first resolution deals with individual renewable energy generation systems. Customers would need to have all self-generation equipment approved through a permit process to ensure compliance with city ordinances, according to meeting documents.

The second resolution states that interconnection between energy systems must comply with local, state and federal codes.

“We’re trying to cross the bridge between existing ratepayers, those that have committed to renewable power and also want to be conscious of clean air and hopefully keep it cost attractive for new people to invest,” said Alderman Nicholas Cerone. “We kind of met in the middle.”

The resolutions have been a topic of discussion among the committee since late January.

“This is a small commercial and residential policy,” said Batavia Public Works Director Gary Holm. This policy is only for those customers,” said “The large commercial, or large industrial really, those solar systems that will be one megawatt or larger fall into the PURPA act.”

The Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act regulates renewable energy generation equipment.

The resolutions would implement a “net billing” policy, which would offset electricity costs by allowing residents to send excess energy back into the public grid, according to meeting documents.

Batavians looking to install renewable energy generation equipment would first need to apply for a permit with the city before beginning construction.

Meeting documents said the policies are open to wind, solar and any other renewable energy so long as the equipment is approved by the city.

“For large customers, if they cause system impacts, they will have to pay to address those system impacts on a customer-by-customer basis,” Holm said.

Alderman noted concerns with section 10 of the first resolution,which says that any costs incurred by the city due to a customer’s self-generation system would be the responsibility of that customer.

“That would [be disappointing] for someone to have to back out for that reason, especially if we’re hoping to get to 100 percent renewable at some point,” said Alderman Abby Beck

Beck said that the clause could frighten off early renewable energy customers.

Holm said that large upgrade costs for the city could be mitigated through a nominal fee.

“We are proposing a nominal fee of $50 for residential and smaller commercial as part of the interconnection process,” he said. “We’d be able to process the permit and look at the system issues, which for these small systems are negligible.”

The resolutions are in service to a long-term goal of Batavia to reach a 100% renewable energy supply by the year 2050, the resolution stated.

Batavia is currently obligated to purchase energy from the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency through 2042, with excess energy sold back into the wholesale marketplace.

“Because we don’t have that metric to decide where we’re at and where we’re going, I think if we really make a commitment to address this every six month to kind of give us an update on where we’ll be getting it,we’ll be able to make a better decision as more and more people join,” said Alderman Jennifer Baerren.