No replies to this topic

[Lightningrod]

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to begin power supply talks with MidAmerican Energy Company and to adjust to the fiscal year 2010 budget to include storm repair costs.

The city plans to use MidAmerican Energy as a “broker” to get the best possible rate on generated power, City Manager Allen Gill said at the meeting.

MidAmerican can access several sources of power, Gill said.

AmerenCIPS, the city’s current power supplier, will still be responsible for distribution of the power, he said.

If it were to enter into an agreement with MidAmerican now, the city could save up to 18 percent on its energy supply bill, Gill said. But distribution and metering costs will still be with Ameren and likely to go up, he said.

MidAmerican supplies power to 80 percent of Iowa and a portion of northern Illinois, as well as to closer municipalities such as Mt. Vernon, MidAmerican spokesman Michael Ellis said at the meeting.

“The power is all getting dumped into a giant bucket,” Ellis said to the council. “I’m just taking a different bucket and pouring it into that bucket that has your name on it … Ameren will still be responsible to get it to you.”



http://dailyegyptian.com/2010/03/02/2918