In 2004, while the City was continuing to explore various alternatives for power supply, Batavia, Geneva, Rochelle and Geneseo agreed to establish an electric joint-action agency as permitted under state law. Batavia codified its membership in NIMPA via Ordinance 04-35. Geneseo elected to withdraw from the agency approximately one year later.

The joint-action agency was designated as the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency, or NIMPA. NIMPA was established as a project-based agency for the purpose of developing and administering specific projects for its members. While under state law NIMPA has the authority to engage in electric resource planning or other administrative services on behalf of its members, the agency has never performed those roles. Instead, each community member of NIMPA elected to retain local control of resource planning and administration of their own respective electric utilities. As a project-based agency NIMPA has engaged in three projects since its inception.

Between 2008 and 2010 NIMPA’s members formed a project to explore the feasibility of constructing a wind-powered generation facility in Rochelle. Due to a number of concerns associated with the viability of the wind project, Batavia elected to withdraw its participation in late 2009. A few months later both Geneva and Rochelle also elected to withdraw their participation. The project did not move forward past the initial development stage.

In 2009 Batavia and Rochelle formed a project to have NIMPA purchase energy on behalf of the two communities. NIMPA successfully purchased energy contracts from the wholesale marketplace for the years 2010-2012. The project concluded when the contracts expired in 2012.

In 2004, shortly after NIMPA was established, Batavia, Geneva and Rochelle formed a project committee to explore the viability of investing in the Prairie State Energy Campus, or PSEC. In 2007, following final votes by each of the three community City Councils, NIMPA was authorized to purchase a 7.6% ownership share of PSEC. Between 2007 and 2010 NIMPA issued a total of $525 million of bonds to fund PSEC construction. PSEC began commercial generation in 2012 and NIMPA’s project is still active and ongoing.

For more information about NIMPA visit our Website

Public Works