Batavia hires consultants to help with energy planning

City officials are exploring cost-effective, reliable alternatives before committing to long-term coal-based energy contracts.

Sam Kraft
February 16, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

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As Batavia looks ahead to its long-term energy needs, city officials are taking steps to evaluate their options before making any new commitments.

Consultant: The Batavia City Council has hired Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, to help assess the city's future energy needs and potential alternatives.
Prairie State: Batavia currently sources much of its power through the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency (NIMPA), which owns a stake in the Prairie State Energy Campus, one of the country’s largest coal-burning plants.
Contract: The city's contract with NIMPA could last until 2057, though it may end as early as 2041 if certain conditions are met.
Other cities: Geneva and St. Charles also rely on coal-based energy agreements and are facing similar decisions about their long-term power sources.

This comes after local officials and experts convened to discuss Tri-Cities energy options during a special forum in St. Charles on January 22.