March 17th, 2026 Energy Aggregation Election
3/12/2026
During the Illinois Primary Election, the Village of Dakota will have an Energy Supply election on the ballet. Please see the letter below to help clarify the purpose of the election. If you have any questions please reach out to one of the Village of Dakota board members or contact the Village Hall regarding the Village of Dakota directly. For energy aggregations, there is a number at the bottom of the letter for you to contact.
Village of Dakota
March 12th, 2026
Dear Village of Dakota Resident:
The Village of Dakota has a unique opportunity to secure a fixed energy rate on your individual Commonwealth Edison energy rate. People in other communities in our area have participated in these programs. However, village residents must first approve a referendum on March 17, 2026 to authorize the village to pursue this opportunity.
Municipalities, townships, and counties throughout Illinois may now aggregate (pool together) the electric load of its residents to seek bids for lower electric supply rates from suppliers other than ComEd. This has come about because of the deregulation of the electric market by the State of Illinois.
The goal is to secure stable electric supply rates for residents and small businesses in our village.
Over 600 Illinois communities have completed this process over the last ten years, offering their residents savings and secure pricing on the energy portion of their electric bill. These communities include several of our neighboring municipalities and townships.
The referendum on the March 17, 2026 ballot will read as follows:
Shall the Village of Dakota have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such a program? YES NO
There will be no change to your billing. ComEd will continue to send your monthly bill. ComEd will still deliver the electricity and you will still call ComEd for service and outages.
You will not be required to participate in the new program. Every resident who does not already have an alternate supplier will receive a letter with the opportunity to “opt out” of the new program and stay with ComEd as the energy supplier or select their own supplier. It’s important to remember that your electric bill and service will still be provided by ComEd.
The referendum will appear on the March 17, 2026 Election Ballot. Additional information about the Village of Dakota considering buying electricity in bulk to save its residents and small businesses money can be obtained by calling our municipal aggregation consultant, Rock River Energy Services, at 815-732-4603.
Sincerely,
Jon Riley
Village of Dakota President
Q: What is Municipal Aggregation?
Municipal aggregation is a process whereby an entire community moves to an alternate supplier as a group. The advantage of aggregation is that each individual customer does not have to understand the variety of offers that are available from a wide range of suppliers. The village, often with the assistance of a consultant, can do much of that research on behalf of the community and select the offer that they believe reflects the best value.
Q: What is ComEd’s position on municipal aggregation?
ComEd supports municipal aggregation and works cooperatively with villages who elect to aggregate by providing load data and other necessary information. They also work with the alternative suppliers to make sure customers are enrolled with the correct suppliers on a timely basis.
Q: Why would a village pursue municipal aggregation?
Villages are pursuing aggregation because they may be able to help their residents and eligible small businesses in the unincorporated area of the village, save money by creating a combined customer group that has more buying power than individual residents.
Q: What action must I take if my village approves an aggregation program and I want to join the program?
If your community approves an aggregation program, you do not need to take any action in order to participate and get the negotiated electric supply price as long as you are currently receiving your energy supply from ComEd and not another supplier. If you are currently with a supplier, you can join the program by calling the community’s supplier and opting in. Please refer to your current supplier for any termination fees.
Q: What if I do not want to join the aggregation program?
You will have two opportunities to opt out of the program if you decide not to participate. The chosen supplier will send opt-out notices to all residents and eligible small businesses within the unincorporated area of the village. You will need to fill out and return the opt-out notice in order to be excluded from the program.
Q: Who do I call if my power goes out?
You continue to call your local utility company, ComEd.
Q: Who do I contact for more information on municipal aggregation?
Visit the Illinois Commerce Commission website, www.pluginillinois.org or contact the community’s energy consultant, Rock River Energy Services, at 815-732-4603.