City of Lake Forest, IL

North Shore residents and small businesses in the Cities of Highland Park and Lake Forest and the Villages of Deerfield, Lake Bluff, Northbrook and Skokie will start the state’s largest “price match” electricity aggregation program this October. Under this program the six communities have banded together to combine their electricity purchases under a bulk contract with MC Squared Energy Services, LLC. This large scale purchasing of electricity will result in savings that come in the form of a grant from the energy supplier that is sent to each participating community. In Lake Forest, this grant will be used to fund energy saving investments.  

The revenues allocated to participating agencies through this program will be used to advance local sustainability initiatives and other goals established by each community. Examples include converting municipal fleets to electric vehicles, integrating sustainability features into infrastructure projects, purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) for local electricity usage, studying rooftop solar on municipal facilities, or providing general revenue to support broader community projects.   

Since 2009, Illinois state law allows municipalities to arrange for alternative suppliers to provide electricity to their residential and small commercial retail customers. This process is known as electric load aggregation. Aggregation is seamless for the customer and ComEd continues to be responsible for billing, electricity delivery and customer service. 

The six communities, as the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium, first engaged in aggregation during 2012-2017 and saved residents tens of millions of dollars through reduced electricity rates. 

This program is the result of a competitive procurement process open to all Illinois alternative electricity suppliers. Letters will be mailed out to all residents the week of August 16 and some, but not all, customers will be automatically moved to MC Squared Energy Services, LLC of Chicago for electricity supply beginning in October.  The letter you receive will depend on the type of electric supply arrangement you currently have. Copies of the different letters that have been sent can be viewed below.

Type of Letter	Description	Heading on Letter
Opt-Out	Account will be automatically enrolled unless they opt out	“Electric Aggregation Notice”
Opt-In on RES Service	Account currently enrolled with another retail supplier.  Must act to opt in to this program.	“Electric Aggregation Opt In Notice”
Opt-In on ComEd Hourly or RRTP Service	Account currently enrolled on a special ComEd rate that is hourly or time of use.  If they leave this service, they will not be able to join back for 12 months with ComEd.	“Informational Content Only for Hourly Rate Customers” (Can be RRTP also but do not expect many if any of these).
Opt-In Net Metering	Account is currently enrolled as net metering with either ComEd or another retail supplier.  This means they have solar panels on their roof.  If they switch, they may lose any excess credits they have.	“Informational Content Only for Net Metering Customers”
ComEd Remain w/ComEd	Account will stay on ComEd service as it is currently.  Still considered to be part of the program.	“Informational Content Only:  No Action Required”

Importantly, Customers will pay the same rate as they would with ComEd. No action is required to enroll, but accounts that are changing suppliers will have an opportunity to opt-out. There are no phone calls or door-to-door solicitations. 

Questions?
We're here to help! View our Frequently Asked Questions document regarding the City's Electric Aggregation Program.

Please contact Assistant City Manager Mike Strong at 847.810.3680 or strongm@cityoflakeforest.com.

You can also contact MC Squared Energy Services, LLC at 855.697.0286 or LakeForest@mc2energyservices.com

Please Be Aware of Unethical Marketing Practices
The City of Lake Forest's Municipal Aggregation Program is launching with Chicago-based MC Squared Energy Services (MC2). Please be aware that MC2 will not come to your door, and will not call you on the phone regarding this program unless you initiated the call. Neither the City or MC2 contracts with any third parties attempting to sell energy products via door-to-door or telephone sales programs.

The City has been notified by residents that there are marketers going door to door and/or calling homes with the goal of switching residents' electricity service. Some of these marketers may be aggressive and may misrepresent themselves to you, offering a “utility rebate program” that could result in your electricity supply being priced much higher than the ComEd default tariff rate after a teaser rate. The Illinois Attorney General’s office recently negotiated a $2.65 million settlement with a retail energy marketing company based in part on allegations of aggressive marketing claims.

Here are some simple steps that you can take to avoid becoming a victim of an energy scam:

• Do not give your ComEd bill to anyone at your door.
• Do not tell anyone your ComEd account number at the door or by phone.
• Don’t say “yes” to a marketer calling, even if they ask you if this is your name or any other similar question.
• Call the police if you think someone is trying to scam you.
• Do not be pressured. Just shut the door or hang up!
• Place a “No Solicitors Invited” sign on your door. 

The City negotiated an electricity supply product with MC2 that allows you to choose another electric supplier at any time without any penalty to switch from MC2. While other suppliers may market to you, and you are free to choose the supply option of your choice, your choice should be based on accurate information.

For More Information on Electricity Supply Alternatives

Consumers interested in exploring electricity supply alternatives can learn more through the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) at citizensutilityboard.org / 800-669-5556 and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) at pluginillinois.org / 217-785-7456.

Background on the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium (NSEAC)

Illinois law allows a municipality to seek bids for the provision of aggregate electricity supply services to residential and small commercial customers, in hopes that the selected rate will be lower than the standard rate offered by ComEd. As required by State law, on March 20, 2012 voters in all eight NSEAC municipalities approved referendums authorizing each municipality to operate an "opt-out" electricity aggregation program for residents and small businesses. In an effort to maximize the amount of savings for customers, the communities of Deerfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Northbrook, Park Ridge and Skokie worked together through an Intergovernmental Agreement and created the NSEAC.