"Earlier this week, the Saint Charles City Council voted overwhelmingly to NOT sign the contract under consideration with Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) - a contract that would have prematurely extended the city's obligation to Prairie State Energy Campus and its reliance on coal power through the year 2055. On behalf of the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County, we would like to commend the City Council for the care and the research they put into understanding the issue and for arriving at the decision that they did.
According to a report issued by the Sierra Club in 2023, the Prairie State Generating Station makes the list of the 17 most deadly remaining coal fire plants in the United States. The Sierra Club estimates that 79 premature deaths annually can be attributed to the continued operation of Prairie State and that 199 Illinoisans die prematurely each year when you consider the impact of all coal plants nationwide. (OUT OF CONTROL: The Deadly Impact of Coal Pollution, published in February 2023 and available at coal.sierraclub.org).
Rapid technological innovation is bringing cleaner, safer, and more sustainable sources of energy within reach to more communities each year. The decision to postpone contract renewal with IMEA keeps the door open for Saint Charles to benefit from these advancements in the future."
Patti Lackman and Tammy Caltagirone
Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters of Central Kane County