As we close out another season of giving in Springfield, let’s give thanks for prior residents and leaders who left us a treasure – our municipally owned power plant. We, the people of Springfield – not Ameren, or any other company – run City Water, Light and Power (CWLP). It’s a time for fellowship too, and a group of environmental justice advocates have formed a new coalition to transform our city to clean and renewable energy.
True, Christmas has come and gone, but at Power to the People we really like gifts, and there’s one thing Springfield still needs for 2023. We have energy, climate and equity challenges right now, but also opportunities for transformation. Citizens and leaders, this year we need to plan for a just and speedy clean energy transition.
Santa’s probably in Cancun by now. But between ourselves (including you, dear reader), our City Council, our mayor, and the capable folks who operate CWLP for us, we’ve got this. What we need is an updated, publicly driven Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), used by utilities for long-term planning. As public utility owners, we the people must insist that CWLP, our mayor and aldermen use the IRP to ensure that future generations of Springfielders have clean, affordable energy. We know clean energy is the energy of the future, and we need CWLP to focus on that with their next IRP.
The new IRP must build on the one CWLP produced five years ago, which was … ahem, a five-year plan. Yes, five years ago, our city leaders invested in our future by looking ahead, and we need them to do so again. As a community we must lead the way, with the assistance of our dedicated public servants at CWLP, to make affordable, clean, renewable energy the future for our city.
CWLP’s first IRP made solar power much more accessible in Springfield, especially for institutions and folks ready to install solar on their own homes. It also set a precedent for public process, making hearings open and available to the public. Check it out at https://www.cwlp.com/IRP.aspx.
So, again, we’re thankful, but it’s a New Year and we’re also resolved to improve. This time we need to chart a course to an affordable, 100% renewable, future, and we need to ensure that everyone in the city benefits – no matter their race or what side of town they live on – through programs like Solar for All.
Like the Springfield kids who will run this town – or run from it, if it ain’t hip – we’re idealistic, but we’re not naïve. We’ve been to the inter-webs and we know nice things cost money. Luckily, money is available to transition to clean energy right now. Between the federal Inflation Reduction Act and Illinois’ own Clean Energy Jobs Act, there’s a long menu of incentives, and some pots of gold that CWLP can play for; and, oh yes, we’ll help choose the right ones.
Because, while there are financial opportunities, the stakes in these choices are high. To be ready for the clean energy future that’s coming and the economy it will create, Springfield is going to need to finally kick coal to the curb. We know that’s not happening tomorrow, and we’re committed to ensuring opportunities for folks whose incomes are tied to coal now, but we also know it needs to happen if we as a city are to play for the next round of opportunities, attract and retain talented future neighbors, and become a truly inclusive, diverse city that can stand proud as the capital of our state. That can’t happen when our plant struggles to safely manage its coal ash, or when its pollution hits the east side of town hardest, affecting Black and Brown Springfielders the most.
Friends, lovers, elected officials, power professionals and power people: the time is now. Springfield’s first Integrated Resource Plan has run its five-year course, and we need to get cracking. The first steps are clear. Our mayor and City Council need to request a new plan from CWLP. Then, CWLP’s budgeting process and numbers need to reflect the goals of a future-oriented IRP for Springfield. Our officials and experts are going to need people power to do this right, and CWLP is our power provider. We’ll see you in the Council Chambers. Happy New Year all.
Brandon Derman is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at University of Illinois Springfield, and chairs the Environmental Justice Task Force of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good. For more information about how to join the initiative, contact emma@faithcoalition-il.org or 217-381-7262.
This article appears in Best films of 2022.
