The city staff of Aurora, Illinois, recently suggested an ordinance that would allow voters to decide if the city should investigate more affordable energy options for the city's residents and business owners.

The City Council is planning to vote soon to decide if the ordinance should be placed on the ballot in March, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Illinois deregulated the power industry in the state in January 2010, which allowed municipalities to choose between dozens of independent electricity suppliers. The Sun-Times reported that if the ordinance passes, Aurora residents will have the option to choose among 35 companies. Because of competitive pricing among the rival private companies, residents could save as much as 25 percent on their energy bills, the source reported.

Households will have the option of staying with the electricity company that Aurora has been using for all residents, according to the Sun-Times.

“Generally speaking, there’s not going to be a high number opting out,” the news source quoted City Finance Director Brian Caputo as saying. He added that two notices will be sent to residents to opt out before the switch will be made, and it will take nine months to finalize the program if the ordinance is approved.

Thanks to electricity deregulation, residents of Illinois and other states also have expanded options when it comes to purchasing affordable electricity produced from renewable energy sources. However, when it comes to renewable energy, it's not always a question of competition between the public and private sectors: A public-private partnership in Illinois released a report with the goal to make all K-12 schools in the state more energy efficient.