A new electricity aggregation program will allow the village to group together eligible residential and business ComEd customers to negotiate lower rates for power, according to officials.

Under the program, the village will try to group together customers to make one larger buying group that would be attractive to an alternative supplier with lower rates, Mayor Rhett Taylor said at a recent village board meeting.

He called it a “strength through large buying” program.

Residents voted in the April 5 election to allow the village to run such a program.

According to a draft plan, the program is an “opt-out” aggregation program that will automatically include all eligible electric customers receiving a lower rate than the prevailing ComEd rate from an alternative retail electric supplier. Customers will be given notice of the change, allowing them not to participate in the program if they choose.

Residents who opt out of the program will default to ComEd’s standard service until that person chooses an alternative supplier.

Ineligible customers include those who are supplied generation service from another supplier and commercial customers with a peak demand of more than 100kW. Residents and businesses that move into the village will not be automatically included in the program, but will instead have to opt-in.

Billing will be coordinated by ComEd and the selected supplier, with customers each receiving a single itemized bill.

The village board is expected to vote on program implementation at an upcoming board meeting.