Oak Park achieves major energy savings through SEM initiatives
Published on December 08, 2025
The Village of Oak Park is celebrating a major milestone in its commitment to sustainability and climate action. Through hard work and participation in ComEd’s Strategic Energy Management (SEM) Program, Village Hall, the Public Works Center, and local schools – including Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 – have achieved significant energy savings, reducing both environmental impact and operational costs.
These efforts are part of the Village of Oak Park’s broader commitment to reduce municipal energy use by 30% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
“ComEd’s SEM program has been an incredible tool both to identify opportunities for energy savings and to measure and communicate our work,” said Lindsey Roland Nieratka, Oak Park’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “We have been collaborating with our school districts on energy efficiency through a Cross Agency Sustainability Exchange and the SEM program provides great resources to align efforts and see the collective impact. We are proud of the results and the positive impact this has on our community and the environment.”
By implementing strategic energy-saving practices and engaging employees in energy efficiency initiatives, these locations have successfully reduced their energy consumption as follows:
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Annual SEM Savings (kWh)
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Estimated SEM Cost Savings
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Earned Incentives
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GHG Savings (Metric tonnes of CO2e)
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Village of Oak Park
(Public Works and Village Hall)
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2,145,651
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$225,790.50
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$120,021.89
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1499.81
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Oak Park Elementary
School District 97
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1,557,619
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$164,948.86
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$86,634.71
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1088.77
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Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200
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290,061
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$28,316.29
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$12,533.43
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202.75
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Key highlights of The Village of Oak Park’s energy management success include:
- Implementation of building automation system (BAS) schedules and tuning at Village Hall, Public Works Center, and across Oak Park Elementary School District 97.
- Replacement of a constant volume air handler with a variable frequency drive (VFD) system, installation of a modern direct digital control (DDC) system to replace pneumatic controls, and ductwork refurbishment at Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200.
- Additionally, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 have realized annual natural gas savings of 55,876 and 18,328 therms, respectively, since Nicor SEM program adoption.
The Village of Oak Park encourages other organizations in the community to explore the benefits of Strategic Energy Management and contribute to a more sustainable future. Information about the Strategic Energy Management program can be found on ComEd’s website at www.ComEd.com/SEM for electric and on Nicor’s website at https://www.nicorgas.com/business/ways-to-save/custom-incentives/strategic-energy-management.html for natural gas.
About Oak Park -The Village of Oak Park, located just nine miles west of downtown Chicago, offers a distinctive urban/suburban lifestyle in a thriving, multi-cultural community. Well-known for progressive values, tree-lined streets and bustling business districts, Oak Park serves as an ideal place to live, work and play. As a longstanding community of choice, the Village benefits from convenient access to local and regional transit, high-quality public schools, and arts and cultural attractions, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio and his acclaimed Unity Temple, which was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.