Council tells staff to focus on joint action agency and market participation (straw poll)

Naperville council expressed clear direction to staff about which procurement options to prioritize after a staff presentation on four approaches to power procurement. In a show‑of‑hands straw poll, council counted eight hands for joining an existing joint action agency (option 1), five hands for market participation with asset ownership (option 2), eight hands for market participation without ownership (option 3), and zero hands for selling the utility (option 4).

City Manager Krieger told council the recommendation — informed by workshops and public input — is to further focus on option 1 (joining an existing joint action agency) and option 3 (market participation without owning generation), and not to emphasize option 4 (sale) at this time. "Based on feedback to date, we'd like to focus our options on those directed by city council," Krieger said. Staff also noted that option 2's potential benefits (autonomy/hedging) can often be achieved via PPAs under option 3 without the debt and long‑term asset liabilities of ownership.

Councilmembers pressed staff on the timeline and next steps: Krieger said a rate study is scheduled for June of next year and that additional analysis on the prioritized options will follow and be presented to council alongside rate‑study results. The straw poll was advisory and not a final commitment; Krieger said staff will continue decision‑framework work and present specific metrics and recommendations before any binding action.