Committee of the Whole

Special Committee of the Whole - Mar 16 2026 Agenda Monday, March 16, 2026 at 7:05 PM or Immediately following the City Council Meeting 100 N. Island Ave, Batavia, IL 60510 in the City Council Chambers For viewing purposes only, the meeting will be broadcast live on BATV’s YouTube channel which can be accessed from their website at myBATV.com at https://www.youtube.com/user/BATV1017 Page 1. Roll Call 2. Reminder: Please speak into the microphone for BATV recording 3. Items removed, added, or changed 4. Matters from the Public (For items NOT on the Agenda) 5. Regular Agenda 5.1 Discussion: Preliminary IRP Public Comment 2 Preliminary Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).pdf 6. City Council Updates 6.1 Project Status 6.2 Other Business 7. Adjournment Individuals with disabilities should notify the City Administrator's office at 630-454-2053 if they have a disability which will require special assistance or services and, if so, what services are required. This notification should occur as far as possible before the City-sponsored function, program or meeting. Page 1 of 15  Preliminary Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) City Council Discussion Session Public Feedback Summary and Guiding Questions for Final IRP March 16, 2026 Page 2 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Discussion Purpose and Agenda This is not a vote. The goal is to give staff direction on how to shape the final IRP and the upcoming all-source RFI. Council retains full authority to amend the IRP at any time. Where We Are Now 1 Timeline, process context, and what’s still ahead Public Feedback Summary 2 53 comments, petition, and community survey Key Themes from Comments 3 What our community told us 5 Guiding Questions 4 Decision points for staff direction Discussion & Next Steps 5 Path to the final IRP Also ahead: Cost of Service & Infrastructure Study, rate design discussions, and Council approvals. Lots more still to go! Page 3 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Where we are COMPLETE COMPLETE COMPLETE TONIGHT NEXT NEXT NEXT Oct 2025 Dec 2025 Mar 2026 Mar 16 2026 2026 2026 Council Preliminary IRP Public Comment Q&A Response Staff Incorporates All-Source Final IRP Discussion Published Period Closed Document Issued Council Direction RFI Process Development (Tonight) Key Context The IRP is a planning document, not a commitment to build anything. Council retains full authority to amend the IRP at any time as circumstances change. The upcoming all-source RFI seeks to identify market pricing and available technologies — it is not a construction authorization. We will be coming back to Council with specific questions on specific topics as we move forward. The Final IRP will be significantly more robust and built out than the preliminary version. We are also conducting a Cost of Service & Infrastructure Study, and rate design discussions and approvals are still ahead. This process complies with Public Act 104-0458 (Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Transparent Planning Act). Page 4 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Public Engagement Overview 53 ~290 60 Public Comments Petition Signatures Day Comment Period Community Petition The petition calls on Council to: • Learn from Prairie State and refuse any recommendation relying on fossil fuels • Require the final IRP to consider future electrification opportunities (residential, commercial, industrial) • Listen to residents’ willingness to pay modest increases for more renewable energy • Demand flexible, modular clean energy alternatives (solar, battery storage, demand-response programs) Signatures: ~90 Batavia residents | ~200 non-Batavia Page 5 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  What We Heard: Public Comment Themes 1/3 Opposition to Fossil Fuel / Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine (RECIP) ~35 comments The strongest theme. Commenters cited Prairie State Generating Station (PSEC) lessons, Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) compliance risk, stranded asset concerns, climate goals, and the narrow cost margin as reasons to reject a new natural gas facility. e.g., Comments #1, #8, #18, #22: Residents warned against repeating the PSEC experience with another long-term fossil fuel commitment. Support for Renewable Energy & Storage ~28 comments Strong community support for solar-plus-storage, battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind, and distributed energy resources (DER). The June 2025 community survey showed a plurality of respondents willing to pay a premium for cleaner energy; many comments echoed this preference. e.g., Comments #2, #12, #25: Residents advocated for solar+battery as the preferred supply-side solution and called for flexible, modular investments. Demand-Side Management (DSM) Enthusiasm ~15 comments Time-of-use (TOU) rates, smart thermostats, and electric vehicle (EV) managed charging were seen as low-risk strategies. Multiple commenters said demand-side management should come before new generation capacity. e.g., Comments #49, #52: Residents urged the City to implement smart thermostat programs and TOU rates before committing to new generation capacity Page 6 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  What We Heard: Public Comment Themes 2/3 Data Center Load Concerns ~12 comments Commenters noted the 50 MW Hut 8 Data Center was excluded from the IRP supply analysis because it makes market purchases, not utility-supplied power. Data center infrastructure impacts are being addressed in the separate Cost of Service & Infrastructure Study. e.g., Comments #18, #39: Called the study incomplete without data center load. Comment #45: Data center should absorb its own costs. Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency (NIMPA) / PSEC Transition Risk ~20 comments Commenters drew direct parallels to the PSEC experience. Under CEJA, PSEC must halve emissions by 2038 and be emissions-free by 2045. NIMPA bond obligations run through 2041 regardless of plant operations. e.g., Comments #22, #36: A 20-year IRP must begin identifying replacement power strategies now — waiting is too late. Energy Policy Alignment ~8 comments Commenters noted the IRP’s Key Observations focus primarily on reliability and affordability. The draft does address adaptability and reliability. We are already discussing how to better align climate and sustainability considerations with portfolio evaluation. "e.g., Comments #22, #36: Urged that all four Energy Policy priorities — not just reliability and affordability — should guide the IRP's evaluation of resource options Page 7 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  What We Heard: Public Comment Themes 3/3 Broader Analysis & Cost Concerns ~12 comments Multiple commenters requested hybrid portfolios, different resource sizes, longer-duration BESS, virtual power plants (VPPs), and technology-neutral evaluation. Residents repeatedly noted that cost differences between portfolios were minor in the reference scenario and did not justify the risk of a fossil fuel commitment. e.g., Comments #10, #37, #52: Requested hybrid options and noted the RECIP’s ~1% cost advantage over status quo does not justify the regulatory and stranded-asset risk. ~3–5 comments Support for the RECIP / Natural Gas Approach A small number of commenters supported natural gas as a pragmatic, cost-effective hedge against rising PJM Interconnection (PJM) capacity prices. Some favored a wait-and-see approach or a smaller initial RECIP to gain operating experience. e.g., Comment #29: Natural gas is the best choice to mitigate price spikes. Comment #32: Gas turbines and thermal storage are most reliable. Comment #49: A 1–5 MW RECIP as a first step is reasonable. Page 8 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Guiding Questions for Council Staff is seeking direction from Council on five key questions that will shape the final IRP and the upcoming all-source RFI. Page 9 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Guiding Question 1 How should the final IRP weigh the City’s own Energy Policy priorities? Context Council adopted an Energy Policy (Sept 2025) with four priorities: resiliency, sustainability, affordability, and adaptability. The draft IRP does address adaptability and reliability. Staff is already working on how to better align climate and sustainability considerations with portfolio evaluation. For the Final IRP, we will evaluate options against measures like emissions vs. status quo and other climate and policy considerations. All options will be graded against the Energy Policy framework. Options for Council A. Confirm direction: staff will grade all options against the four-priority Energy Policy framework in the final IRP. B. Identify additional climate or policy criteria Council wants included in the evaluation (e.g., emissions trajectory, CEJA pathway). C. Add sustainability and resiliency as supplementary criteria alongside the existing evaluation. Page 10 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Guiding Question 2 Does Council want the Final IRP to model a broader range of clean portfolios? Context Opposition to the RECIP was the strongest theme (~35 of 53 comments). The RECIP suggests a ~1% cost savings over status quo. The all-source RFI will help us by defining our needs (capacity, energy, flexibility, resiliency, etc.) and letting vendors provide options that meet those needs. This may help identify hybrid or newer technologies. Staff plans to explore hybrid portfolios in the final IRP. What priorities would Council have for a hybrid portfolio? Are there resource types Council wants specifically modeled? Options for Council A. Confirm staff should explore hybrid portfolios and direct any specific priorities for what to include (resource types, sizes, combinations). B. Retain current analysis scope — the preliminary IRP adequately compares available options. C. Request specific additional modeling (e.g., particular hybrid combinations, emerging technologies) to supplement current analysis. Page 11 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Guiding Question 3 How aggressively should Council pursue demand-side management programs in the near term? Context TOU rates, smart thermostats, and EV managed charging may be cost-effective options, but we need additional research and modeling before full deployment. Implementation requires procuring appropriate software and systems to manage billing, along with substantial technical infrastructure that Batavia does not yet have. Staff is applying for a grant to support demand-side management feasibility studies and implementation planning. Options for Council A. Prioritize and fast-track demand-side programs now — potentially reducing the size/urgency of any supply-side addition. B. Treat demand-side programs as supplementary — pursue in parallel but don’t delay generation decisions. C. Aggressively procure the software platforms and billing systems needed to support TOU, smart thermostats, and EV charging management. Page 12 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Guiding Question 4 How should the Final IRP address the NIMPA/PSEC transition risk? Context PSEC must halve emissions by 2038 and be emissions-free by 2045 under CEJA. NIMPA bond obligations run through 2041 regardless. NIMPA — not Batavia — will procure replacement energy, limiting our direct control. There is a lot of uncertainty right now around the timeline and market conditions. The current IRP addresses general capacity needs once PSEC halves output, but does not fully address a complete closure scenario at this time. Options for Council Direct staff to identify specific triggers that should prompt Batavia to act (e.g., PSEC announces capacity reductions, PJM capacity prices exceed a threshold, NIMPA begins replacement A. procurement). B. Include full PSEC replacement plans in the final IRP, beyond the general capacity analysis already included. C. Include PSEC transition scenarios in the final IRP but defer procurement decisions until triggers are reached. Page 13 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Guiding Question 5 What should the scope of the all-source RFI be? Context Staff will prepare an all-source RFI to identify market pricing and available technologies. The Brattle Group recommends an all-source approach with defined criteria. We will bring this to council for approval and discussion prior to issuance. PA 104-0458 states a utility may include RFI/RFP results in the IRP, or must explain why it chose not to. Many utilities issue an all-source RFI to see all technologies available. Many specify performance requirements like emissions reduction targets or PJM capacity value. Options for Council A. Issue an all-source RFI open to all technologies — let the market show what’s available and at what price. B. Issue an RFI focused on non-fossil-fuel resources: renewables, storage, and demand-side options only. Where does nuclear fall in? C. Issue a technology-neutral RFI with defined performance criteria (capacity value, emissions limits, CEJA compliance pathway, cost caps). Page 14 of 15 BataviaIL.gov  Discussion The IRP is a planning document — it does not authorize construction of anything. Staff is seeking your direction on the five guiding questions — not a final vote. All options remain on the table until Council directs otherwise. The final IRP will incorporate tonight’s direction and additional analysis. We will have additional Council check-ins on specific topics throughout 2026. For the Final IRP: We will post a draft for public review, collect public comment, revise the draft based on feedback, and then share the Final IRP. The community will have another opportunity to weigh in. Thank you to our community for your engagement. Your input shapes Batavia’s energy future. Page 15 of 15 BataviaIL.gov