Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy meeting, May 11, 2026
- When: Mon, May 11, 2026, 10:00 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
- Video: https://vimeo.com/1190194414
- Transcript: full text (16,996 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, chaired by Alderperson Maria E. Hadden, heard five public commenters on topics including a South Shore lakefront project, urban flooding and sanitation access, and approved its March Rule 45 report. The committee recommended passage of Alderperson Brian Hopkins ordinance O2026-0022796, which raises the permissible height of non-tree plants in registered native and pollinator gardens from 10 to 36 inches, after members raised questions about language access, enforcement by ward superintendents, signage and rodent control. The committee then held its annual ComEd summer preparedness subject matter hearing, where ComEd officials discussed affordability programs, reliability statistics, capacity auction impacts on bills, new substations, protections against data center cost shifts, and geothermal energy. No vote was taken on the hearing, and outstanding answers are to be provided through the chair.
Topics: Native and pollinator gardens, ComEd summer preparedness, Data centers and energy demand, Utility affordability, Grid reliability, PJM capacity auction, Geothermal energy, Language access
Agenda items discussed
- 26:08 Approval of the March Rule 45 report: passed
- 26:36 Amendment of Municipal Code Section 10-32-055 raising the permissible height of non-tree plants in native and pollinator gardens to 36 inches (O2026-0022796): passed
- 53:08 ComEd Summer Preparedness subject matter hearing: discussed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Maria E. Hadden (chair): Said city enterprise systems need updates for language translation and that ward offices can help fill access gaps in the meantime. (46:05); Suggested a two-language flyer with a QR code that ward superintendents could hand out to residents with unregistered native gardens. (48:02); Supported adding rodent control guidance and connecting it to broader parkway education. (51:06)
- Brian Hopkins (alderperson): Said the amendment changes one number so plants such as milkweed and purple coneflower, which ideally grow two to three feet, are not cut before blooming. (27:16); Said Streets and Sanitation has put the registry and guidance online and encouraged residents to plant native gardens in parkways. (29:07); Said the intention is to create registration signage, possibly with sponsors, and that the department asked to proceed carefully, which slowed the rollout. (41:51)
- Raymond A. Lopez (alderperson): Said he appreciates the amendment but is concerned the registry is an English-only online process that excludes non-English speakers. (31:40); Asked whether online registration is the only option and why ward offices are not included in the process. (33:25); Raised concern that residents could be ticketed or come into conflict with neighbors over tall plantings. (34:44)
- Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Said ward offices with a computer can help residents register and that the form is simple. (36:46); Asked for a committee briefing on the work of the Native Garden Advisory Board. (37:07); Seconded the request for ward and community area reliability data to understand disparities. (1:12:45)
- Ruth Cruz (alderperson): Asked how ward superintendents will know in real time which addresses are on the registry. (38:15); Asked how the registry has been working since launch and was told no one had registered yet. (39:38); Echoed the need for the registry in languages such as Spanish and for a plan to avoid ticketing residents. (39:53)
- Bennett R. Lawson (alderperson): Asked whether registered gardens would receive signage. (41:39); Asked that rodent control guidance be included in the native garden program. (45:17); Asked whether reliability data broken down by ward or community area could be provided again. (1:07:01)
- Julia M. Ramirez (alderperson): Suggested summer regional seminars and an education campaign for native gardens and offered to help. (52:00)
- Matthew J. Martin (alderperson): Asked to what extent geothermal technology is on ComEd's radar following recent state enabling legislation. (1:35:23); Asked how the Trumbull Park homes site was selected for geothermal and whether such projects require federal or other government subsidy. (1:41:05)
- Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez (alderperson): Asked whether ComEd has analyzed the impact of AI data centers on energy consumption, price, availability and environmental harms. (1:44:08); Asked whether ComEd would establish a ceiling on data center capacity that can be sustainably served. (1:46:56); Said there is also a responsibility to use resources sustainably and asked to continue the conversation. (1:51:40)
- William Conway (alderperson): Noted a roughly 30 megawatt data center planned at the CBOE building in his ward. (1:53:43); Asked whether ComEd and the grid are prepared for summer and how they know. (1:54:01)
Exchanges between members
- 31:40 Lopez said he appreciates what his colleague from the Second Ward is trying to do with the amendment.
- 36:14 La Spata thanked Hopkins for the ordinance.
- 36:51 La Spata responded to the colleague who had left that ward offices can already help residents register.
- 37:54 Cruz thanked the Second Ward alderperson for the ordinance.
- 39:53 Cruz echoed a colleague's call for the registry to be available in other languages.
- 41:51 Hopkins answered Lawson's question about signage for registered gardens.
- 42:09 Hopkins said signage would address Cruz's point about ward superintendents.
- 45:56 Lawson thanked Hopkins for bringing the ordinance forward.
- 46:05 Hadden added to Hopkins's comment on the need for city enterprise system language updates.
- 48:02 Hadden contributed to Cruz's point about the registry process.
- 50:10 Hopkins noted Hadden is now leading the Bird-Friendly Construction Ordinance.
- 51:36 Hadden referenced Knudsen's update on the rat birth control pilot.
- 52:03 Ramirez thanked the sponsor and added to the discussion on education.
- 1:12:45 La Spata seconded Lawson's request for reliability data by ward and community area.
- 1:27:18 Hadden said La Spata's data center line of questioning was at the top of her list.
- 1:47:29 Hadden added to Rodríguez Sánchez's question about a data center capacity ceiling.