# Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy meeting, May 29, 2024

- When: Wed, May 29, 2024, 10:30 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: [Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/committee/environmental-protection-and-energy)
- Video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/951644482
- Transcript: [full text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/951644482.txt) (11,323 words, automatic captions)

## Meeting notes

> AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.

The Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy heard two public commenters from the campaign to democratize ComEd, who called for municipal ownership of the electric grid or a strong franchise agreement, and approved its Rule 45 report. It accepted a substitute and recommended passage of Ald. David H. Moore ordinance directing the Chief Sustainability Officer and the Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation to prepare a Keep Chicago Clean public service advertising campaign proposal, including a budget, by October 1, 2024. The committee then held ComEd's annual summer preparedness subject matter hearing, in which ComEd executives described reliability performance, storm response, customer assistance programs and clean energy initiatives. Members asked about federal Inflation Reduction Act funding, reliability disparities between wards, disconnections and affordability, coordination on outages at CHA senior buildings, and interconnection queues, and requested follow-up information through the chair. No action was taken on the hearing item.

Topics: Keep Chicago Clean campaign, Litter, ComEd summer preparedness, Grid reliability, Utility disconnections, Energy affordability, Storm response, Interconnection queue, Municipal utility ownership

### Agenda items discussed

- [9:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=560) Public comment: discussed
- [16:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=994) Rule 45 report: passed
- [16:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1008) Ordinance directing a Keep Chicago Clean public service advertising campaign proposal (substitute): passed
- [29:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1748) ComEd summer preparedness subject matter hearing: discussed

### Alderpersons who spoke

- [Maria E. Hadden](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/49) (chair): Said she looked forward to the Keep Chicago Clean campaign, noting old campaign materials still in use in the 49th Ward. ([22:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1323)); Clarified that the ordinance does not approve a program but directs two department heads to prepare a proposal for council. ([26:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1595)); Asked ComEd to walk through outage and restoration data from recent storms, including the May storm. ([57:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=3443))
- [David H. Moore](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/17) (alderperson): Said clean communities tend to be safer and attract development, and that litter creates costs for city agencies. ([18:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1097)); Asked that the campaign be included in the upcoming budget and credited the Streets and Sanitation commissioner and Chief Sustainability Officer for input. ([20:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1235)); Said the October 1 proposal would set out a budget and funding sources, and that reduced cleanup work could offset costs. ([24:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1475))
- [Bennett R. Lawson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/44) (alderperson): Thanked the sponsor, credited Streets and Sanitation for keeping his neighborhood clean, and said the campaign could engage young people and change culture on cleanliness. ([22:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1374))
- [William Conway](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/34) (alderperson): Asked what budget was envisioned for the campaign and where the funding would come from. ([24:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1455)); Asked that the proposal include tangible measures such as more garbage cans, workers or trucks, not only marketing. ([26:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1609))
- [Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/48) (alderperson): Thanked the sponsor and suggested a distributed model that lifts up block clubs and parks already doing cleanup work in Edgewater and Uptown. ([27:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1647))
- [Matthew J. Martin](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/47) (alderperson): Asked whether ComEd has received or is pursuing Inflation Reduction Act funding and requested a list of projects. ([43:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=2596)); Said ComEd's ward data showed better-performing wards were disproportionately majority white and worse-performing wards majority Black, and asked how investments would close the gap. ([46:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=2766)); Requested a list of the 50 worst-performing census blocks and the steps planned to improve them. ([50:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=3008))
- [Byron Sigcho-López](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/25) (alderperson): Described a CHA senior building in the 25th Ward where power was not reliably restored for weeks and asked about coordination with CHA and OEMC for vulnerable customers. ([1:04:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=3864)); Requested through the chair OEMC incident reports showing root causes and recommendations for future outages. ([1:09:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=4151)); Asked how ComEd balances investment in clean energy with affordability and how assistance compares to need. ([1:10:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=4236))

### Exchanges between members

- [18:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1084) Moore thanked the chair for her work with him on the ordinance.
- [22:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1374) Lawson thanked the sponsor for the anti-littering ordinance.
- [24:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1455) Conway asked Moore what budget was envisioned for the campaign and where funding would come from.
- [24:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1475) Moore answered that the October 1 proposal would set the budget and funding sources.
- [26:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1595) The chair clarified for Conway that the ordinance directs preparation of a proposal rather than approving a program.
- [27:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1647) Manaa-Hoppenworth thanked Moore for bringing the initiative forward.
- [28:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036?t=1734) The chair thanked and congratulated Moore after the vote.

## Documents

- [Agenda](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/349c843e-4296-4132-806a-41e9a20297b1.pdf)
- [Summary](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/20b89080-adf6-47b1-8dab-34459f66a380.pdf)
- [Other](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/c8930b1c-aa81-4ffa-86fe-34860f8aaa4e.pdf)
- [Notice](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/dc049558-8c4a-4d38-9249-fcb18d795311.pdf)

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/03C1F1F0-E912-EF11-9F89-001DD8050036 · Chicago Politics, an independent, nonpartisan tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt