Next Public Utilities Committee Meeting December 11

The next City of Springfield Public Utilities Committee meeting will be held Wednesday, December 11th at 5:30 p.m. in the Springfield City Council Chambers located at Municipal Center West at 300 S. Seventh St, 3rd floor. The meeting agenda will include an update from City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) on the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which studied current and possible future electric resource options. A review of the IRP purpose and results, summary of public comments received and additional findings to date, will be given in the utility presentation. In addition, ScottMadden Inc. will provide information to date on its work related to the planning process and considerations for power plant retirements.

The meeting will be broadcast on Municipal Channel 18 and closed captioned. Live stream viewing of the meeting will also be available from the City website for Channel 18 under the “City Channels” tab.

The IRP work was conducted by The Energy Authority, Inc. (TEA) in order to identify the best resource options for CWLP to provide reliable and reasonably priced electrical power to meet Springfield’s future energy needs. TEA compiled and analyzed economic data of CWLP’s existing electric resources along with the economic data of other options such as wind, solar, natural gas combustion turbine, smaller reciprocating engines, power purchases from the market, demand side management and energy storage.

TEA’s IRP recommended closing Dallman Units 1, 2 in 2020 and Dallman Unit 3 also in 2020 or as soon as feasible, along with a number of replacement generation options, including purchasing renewable power and other energy and capacity purchase agreements.

Each year a number of Springfield families have trouble paying their basic household bills. And things can get even tougher during the winter when home heating costs are added in.

Through Project RELIEF, you can add $1 or more to your monthly CWLP bill to provide payment assistance to families during the winter heating season.

It’s easy. All you have to do is complete the Online Form, or you can make a one-time donation of any amount by sending your check or money order to our program administrator:

Who Can Qualify for Project RELIEF?

To qualify for Project RELIEF assistance, you must have: a total household income for the previous 90 days of no more than 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; applied for help from LIHEAP (217.535.3120); a past-due CWLP bill; not received Project RELIEF assistance in 2018-2019; and exhausted all other assistance sources. You may also be required to cover a portion of your past-due CWLP bill.

If you would like to participate in CWLP Project RELIEF, the first step in applying to the program is to call 217.789.2414 on December 2 or soon thereafter. If you meet minimum eligibility requirements, you will be scheduled for an appointment with Fifth Street Renaissance.

City Water, Light and Power was awarded first place in a drinking water contest comparing other Illinois providers at the Illinois Potable Water Supply Operators Association’s fall conference last week. The water samples were rated by a panel of judges based on the clarity, taste and odor of each.

“We’re pleased to be recognized for our high quality water,” said CWLP Water Division Manager Ted Meckes. “Our plant operators, chemist, and entire treatment and distribution staff work extremely hard to consistently and continually ensure a safe and reliable drinking water supply to Springfield—that it also tastes great is a bonus.”

The City of Springfield has been a public water supply provider since 1868, and at that time was only the second water works provider in operation in Illinois. It was April 30, 1868 when raw, untreated water from the Sangamon River was first pumped from the City’s new water works pumping station on the north side of Springfield and on July 1 of that same year, the water works began full-time operations and service.

Today, CWLP’s Water Division is responsible for producing and delivering water for a population of 150,000 encompassing several communities in and around Springfield. The CWLP water system includes Lake Springfield, the recently upgraded lakeside Water Purification Plant, three water storage tanks, and approximately 760 miles of water mains. The Division's primary mission is to ensure that all utility customers will have a safe and plentiful water supply in both the immediate and long-term future.

Now is a great time for our customers to install a geothermal heat pump in their homes. Besides being three to four times more efficient than standard air conditioners and gas furnace combination systems, if installed by the end of 2019, a 30% Federal Tax Credit is available plus a one-time CWLP rebate up to $3,000. In addition, with a heat pump, CWLP residential customers can qualify for our Electric Heat Rate discount when electricity is used as the primary energy source for heating. Customers who are currently on CWLP's Electric Rates 34-37 already receive this savings.

Why Go Geothermal

Efficiency
Geothermal heat pumps are three- to four-times more efficient than a standard air conditioner and gas furnace combination system. Roughly 70% of the energy used by geothermal systems come from the ground.

Economics
Operating costs are 15% to 20% lower than a conventional forced air heating and cooling system.

Reliability
Since geothermal units are located indoors and are shielded from harsh weather conditions, they last longer and often operate with minimal maintenance.

Comfort
Unlike traditional heating systems that tend to cycle on and off, geothermal heat pumps have longer operating cycles providing even temperatures throughout the year.

Sustainability
Geothermal heat pumps recycle waste heat from the home and use it to supplement the hot water system inside your home.

The Geothermal & Air Source Heat Pump Rebate is available to CWLP residential electric customers meeting all eligibility requirements. Commercial customers may also qualify for this rebate but pre-approval is required and rebate amounts differ.

For information on amounts available for all of CWLP’s rebates and full program details on program pre-approval requirements, please contact the CWLP Energy Services by phone at 217.789.2070 or visit our Rebate Page.

The northern arm of Lake Springfield is now home to multiple new fish “attractors” thanks to a partnership between the Springfield Crappie Club and CWLP. Last month, 10 sites with a total of 60 man-made fish habitats, structures composed of recycled drainage tile and PVC piping, were placed in the lake (photos attached). All materials for the structures are nontoxic and non-carcinogenic. In addition to providing habitat for fish, the placement of attractors helps position and better distribute fishing boat traffic away from crowded or private docks and provides better concentration of game fish to this region of the lake.

CWLP Lake Manager Quentin Jordan said this project brought together a number of groups to bring a unique opportunity to the lake. “The Springfield Crappie Club and CWLP boat patrol brought the idea forward after seeing Lake Shelbyville have some success with these habitat installations,” he said. “The Illinois Department of Natural Resources provided siting and design assistance and then a number of agencies volunteered their time to locate and seek donations for materials, plus assembly in order to get these placed in Lake Springfield.”

Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) manages fishing and partners with CWLP for fish stocking efforts and other resource protection measures. Each location (map attached) for the habitats was chosen based on fish availability, access, and boat traffic. The structures, which range in size from three to five feet long and three feet tall, were placed at depths to not cause issues if the lake level were to drop.

Lake Springfield is home to a full season of fishing tournaments annually, with 91 tournaments held in 2018. Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, White Bass, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish have higher populations in Lake Springfield, while the Crappie population is improving. IDNR’s hatchery/rearing pond is currently working to help increase the crappie population. More information on Lake Springfield’s fish populations and outlook can be found here.

The CWLP Land & Water Resources Department and the Springfield Crappie Club were assisted by the following for the fish attractor project.

• IL Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
• City, Water, Light, and Power Lake Security
• Lowes Home Improvement (Wabash Ave)
• Egizii Electric, Inc.
• UA Local 137 Plumbers and Steamfitters
• Lake Area Recycling Services

On Monday, December 10th a Public Utilities Committee meeting was held on a potential project for the Electric Division. The meeting included presentations from University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center on a potential carbon capture project for Dallman Unit 4; as well as project updates from the CWLP Water Division on Lake Springfield watershed protection programs, Water Works Improvement Projects and status of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement as it relates to a supplemental water supply for the utility. You can view our presentation documents here.

On 11/28/18 Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, Earthjustice, and the Environmental Integrity Project published a report titled “Cap and Run” looking at groundwater data for disposal of coal ash by Illinois power plants.

CWLP staff have taken a preliminary look at the report, “Cap and Run,” released 11/28/18 and don’t find newly revealed data or concern with regard to the ash ponds currently serving the Dallman complex. CWLP will not “cap and run” from its ash ponds and follows and complies with all coal ash regulations. The utility has been participating in groundwater monitoring programs for the vicinity of the ash pond areas and is the source of the monitoring data for its sites cited in the report, which also includes data from other Illinois power plants.

The ash ponds, located downstream and downgradient from Lake Springfield, do not pose a risk to the City’s water supply. There are not any privately-owned, potable wells at risk from CWLP ash ponds in the area.

Other report claims with regard to CWLP ash ponds are inaccurate and misleading. The report states the CWLP ash ponds would be underwater in a 100-year flood, which is not true. In section 14, “CWLP’s defective monitoring keeps Illinoisans in the dark” is misleading. CWLP uses appropriate detection monitoring for its ash pond facilities, which are in compliance with regulations, and regularly makes the monitoring data publicly available and posts it on its website.

As the report notes, the utility is already planning for closure of the ash ponds that receive ash from Dallman 1, 2 and 3. Dallman 4 was constructed with a dry ash handling system and does not send ash to these ponds. The report prematurely criticizes and cites a closure plan still in development. The utility’s recommendation on method of closure, whether by capping, removal or lining the ponds, has not been made and will follow Federal regulations, which allow the utility time to develop closure plans.

Similar to today’s report referencing CWLP and its ash ponds, a current complaint by the Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network and NAACP on file with the Illinois Pollution Control Board with regard to CWLP ash ponds, is premature and out of context given that the City and CWLP are already working on a closure plan. These organizations are subjecting Springfield citizens to costly and unnecessary litigation, rather than waiting for CWLP’s closure plans to be developed as the rules allow.

As a publicly-owned, citizen-owned utility, CWLP has long operated as an environmental leader in the industry. CWLP also has a record of being proactive in addressing environmental issues and following regulations in order to protect both air and water quality.

Home energy audits and technical assistance programs helping people save.

City Water, Light and Power Energy Experts are in the business of helping Springfield residents and commercial customers save money and energy through the utility’s various technical assistance programs. The CWLP Energy Experts offer a Money-Back Home Energy Audit program to help residential electric customers reduce their energy usage, save money, address drafts, or just to help them figure out what to do to make their home more efficient. In addition, the Energy Experts can also provide residents and businesses on-site assistance and conduct individual account assessments to help identify efficiency issues or usage questions.

CWLP MONEY-BACK HOME ENERGY AUDIT
CWLP's home energy audit, which is covered by a one-time $25 fee added to a customer’s electric bill, is available to anyone owning or residing in a residential property that receives metered electric service from CWLP. The audit take about two hours to complete in most homes and involves a search for inefficiencies in the home from the attic to the basement, a blower door test and a thorough assessment detailing any problems.

After the audit is complete, the Energy Expert will provide the customer with a packet of efficiency products selected based on the needs identified by the audit. In addition to reviewing findings with the customer as the audit and blower door test are in progress, the Energy Expert will write a report that details all of the improvement recommendations, share information on available rebates and provide savings estimates achievable from each. If any or all of the improvements listed in the audit report are made within one year of the initial audit and the customer completes a follow-up audit, a $25 rebate will be issued to the customer.

SMART SOLUTIONS HOME EFFICIENCY WORKSHOPS
The CWLP Energy Services Office offers “Smart Solutions,” home efficiency workshops throughout the year at the Lincoln Library and on-demand in a group setting for organizations or neighborhood groups, who have a minimum of 15 attendees. In most cases, the workshops can be set up at the convenience of the requesting organization.

COMMERCIAL FACILITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
CWLP offers free facility technical assistance to commercial electric customers upon request. Included in a commercial facility technical assistance is a walk-through evaluation of the business' energy systems, including lighting, HVAC and thermostat operation, water heating and other specialized equipment or systems. During the walk-through, the Energy Expert also addresses specific concerns and can provide tips on equipment or operational changes that could be made to reduce energy usage, as well as information about rebates, grants and other incentives for improving energy or water efficiency that might be available from CWLP and other sources.

CWLP Energy Experts also can provide the customer with billing histories in both table and graphical form and explain the bill components. Comparisons of weather-related data can also be provided, allowing the customer to understand the impact weather can and has had on consumption.

GENERAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMES OR BUSINESSES
The general Technical Assistance (TA) program offered by CWLP is designed to help customers who are experiencing efficiency-related problems in their homes or businesses or who have any type of energy efficiency question. TAs, which are free of charge to CWLP electric customers, can be conducted on-site, over the phone, by mail, or by email—depending on the circumstances and needs of the customer.

Some TAs are investigatory in nature, such as those provided to customers who call with high-bill concerns. Some are educational in nature, such as those that teach customers how to use automatic setback thermostats and provide advice about various efficiency tools, choosing a heating and cooling contractor, or making economic comparisons of energy systems. The CWLP Energy Experts can even help customers design energy efficiency into the structure before building a new home or business.

To make an appointment or for more information on the CWLP Money Back Home Energy Audit or any of the technical assistance programs, customers can call the CWLP Energy Services Office at 789-2070 or email nrgxprts@cwlp.com.