Phil Goode
Crawfordsville Electric Light & Power is asking the Crawfordsville City Council to enact a voluntary electric rate for customers who want to see the state use more reusable energy sources.
CEL&P General Manager Phil Goode told the city council’s fiscal affairs committee that the Indiana Municipal Power Agency, which Crawfordsville is a member of, is trying to expand its renewable energy portfolio. He said they want to be at 20 percent renewable by 2020.
The fiscal affairs committee moved forward an ordinance creating the green power rider to the full council by a 4-0 vote. The full council can act on it Monday night at their regular city council meeting.
Goode said that the green energy rider will allow CEL&P customers to be as little as $1 and as much as $10 per month on their electric bill.
“You don’t have to be a part of this,” Goode said. “The customer can cancel it at any time.”
Councilman Mike Reidy questioned how the rider funds will be separate from other funds.
“The dollars our customers put in goes into a fund?” he asked. “It’s not just for Crawfordsville.”
All the money collected from the new rider will go to IMPA to help fund renewable energy. Goode said that while IMPA most likely will use the funds to purchase solar panels, they are not limiting themselves to any particular energy type.
“If they install (solar panels) in Richmond or Anderson it will benefit Crawfordsville,” he said.
Goode said that CEL&P has 10,000 customers. He said that IMPA has 400,000 customers around the state.
“A dollar here and two dollars there will help our programs,” Goode said after the committee meetings. “We feel the public is more receptive to clean environment issues.”
In other business:
• The fiscal affairs committee moved forward ordinances re-establishing the Cumulative Capital Development Fund and the Cumulative Fire Fund. The committee passed the ordinances on to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
• The traffic, parking and safety committee moved forward an ordinance establishing “no parking” on the west side of Sycamore Drive from Jennison Street around the corner to the first driveway at 606 Thornwood Road and “no parking” on the south side of Thornwood Road from Sycamore Drive to Sugar Tree Road. Councilman Andy Biddle initiated the petition for public safety reasons. He said that because of events taking place at Wabash College people are parking more in the neighborhood and that has created the issue. The committee passed the ordinance on to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
The Crawfordsville City Council will meet Monday at 7 p.m. in the city council chambers.
