The board voted unanimously at its regularly-scheduled meeting to have Good Energy push for aggregation up until the April election and, if voters approve the measure, choose a new electric provider.

The Peoria-based company helped the city of Jacksonville before and after voters approved aggregation at the polls last March, ultimately negotiating a deal with Homefield Energy.

South Jacksonville Mayor Gordon Jumper says that was one of the reasons the board voted to approve Good Energy.

“Good had success with the city of Jacksonville. I think one of the trustees felt like their marketing plan was the one that he preferred as far as the short-term contract,” says Jumper. “There were some others that just felt like the presentation of Good was more associated with what we were interested in as far as providing service to the residents.”

Representatives from Good Energy and Southern Illinois Municipal Energy Company last week made their final pitches to South Jacksonville’s Planning and Public Facilities Committee. SIMEC worked with several communities in Cass County after voters there passed electric aggregation in the November election.

Jumper says it’s Good Energy’s responsibility to get out the vote in the next couple of months. Director of Midwest Energy Service for the company, Tom Leigh, says postcards will be mailed out to South Jacksonville residents with background information, frequently asked questions, and a website.

“All of our focus is really on education at that point,” says Leigh. “Because we found with the more than 400,000 residents that we’ve already moved through this process [with] that once they became educated on how it actually works, what the steps are, and what the benefits are, the support really just falls in behind that very consistently.”

Those wanting more information can visit www.Munienergychoice.com for more details.

Leigh says Good Energy represents the largest number of municipal, county and township governments in Illinois who are implementing aggregation. He says that means more buying power for South Jacksonville and a lower electric rate. 

Also at last night’s meeting, the board voted to include Bartlett Grain Company in the village’s TIF district.