I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.  I wanted to thank all who attended the June 13th golf outing, or supported the BPCIA with a sponsorship.  The outing was well attended, having the most golfers we've seen in a long time.  Thank you for that!  Our next golf outing will be held at Cog Hill on August 1st.  Call the BPCIA office for reservations or sponsorships... we need your support!               

Energy markets have been upended in recent years because of the shale gas revolution. Shale gas is extracted from rock formations and this form of gas is abundant in the US and can be extracted easily using the process known as fracking. Because of this new glut of natural gas, the US has entered a time of highly favorable natural gas and electric prices.

This new supply dynamic has upended many of our traditional assumptions about how to buy power. Previously, shoulder seasons were the most favorable time for purchasing since demand is lower in spring and fall. However, since natural gas is now used to heat and to generate power, no "right" season exists for purchasing either commodity. Renewable mandates and options have also changed how many consumers wish to purchase power.

How does a business understand the market and make good decisions? One way is by using an energy broker to guide them through the process. Satori Energy has guided the Village of Bedford Park in its power purchasing decisions since 2006. When the market is favorable and it's time for a new energy contract, Satori bids out the village's business to a multitude of IL power suppliers, evaluates the bids, and makes recommendations to Mayor Brady and the village council. Recently, Satori helped the Village enter into a three year contract at its lowest rate yet.

Satori Energy works with a wide variety of business in IL and around the US including commercial office properties, museums, churches, factories, and family-owned businesses. Please visit their website at www.satorienergy.com for more information or contact the Village's consultant Mollie VanderLaan at 847-274-9525 or mvanderlaan@satorienergy.com.

 

 

The Village of Justice will be getting a $30 million interchange to connect with Interstate 294 under a new intergovernmental partnership intended to relieve traffic congestion and promote commerce in the southwest suburbs.  Under a deal among the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook County, the village of Justice and the Illinois Tollway, an interchange is planned at 88th Avenue / Cork Avenue to connect with the Tri-State Tollway, or I-294.  It will be built in conjunction with the Toll-way's $4 billion project to widen and rebuild 22 miles of I-294 between Balmoral Avenue in Rosemont and 95th Street in Oak Lawn. 

The Justice interchange will encourage new construction and job creation while also relieving traffic congestion and providing easier access to place like Toyota Park the home of the Chicago Fire soccer team.  "Building a new interchange here will open a vital new gateway into our village," Justice Mayor Kris Wasowicz said in a statement.  "Commercial trucks will be able to enter Justice directly from I-294, diverting them off local roads and allowing them to move their products more safely and efficiently."

The Tollway will pay for half the project, and the cost of the rest will be shared by the state, county and village.  Justice already has used $1.4 million in federal money to do initial environmental and engineering studies.  The design will take about a year and a half, after which construction can begin.  "Hopefully, we can have a shovel in the ground in less than two year," Tollway Chairman Bob Schillerstrom.  He said local officials had been talking about the project for years, but the idea got new life once the Tollway decided to expand the I-294 project from just rebuilding to making other improvements.  Besides new ramps on and off the Tollway, the project will include intersection improvements along 88th/Cork at 79th Street and Archer Avenue.