Green Initiatives

The Village of Montgomery is FOCUSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. 


As a community, we are invested in preservation and conservation and proactively strive to become more sustainable.


  • Approved Urban Forest Management Plan

  • Arboretum Accreditation Level II

  • Fabulous Fox! National Water Trail

  • Focused on the future of the Montgomery Dam

  • Qualified Tree City USA since 2018

  • Tree City USA Growth Awards 2019-2024

  • ComEd Energy Efficiency Program: Village Hall

  • GOLD Water Ambassador Community

  • SolSmart Gold since 2019

  • SILVER EV Readiness Community

Environmental Achievements 2024

ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS

salt-smart-collaborative logo

SENSIBLE SALTING PRACTICES

During the winter months, you will see Public Works plowing snow and applying road salt, also known as sodium chloride. The Village has adopted several Sensible Salting Practices that have reduced the quantity of salt and additives used to keep our roads safe. These procedures have resulted in a 40% reduction in the amount of road salt used, which saves money and helps the environment. Sodium chloride affects water quality by washing into lakes, streams, or groundwater supplies and can also affect the environment by running off into the soil, harming trees and vegetation. Our reduced salt usage significantly reduces our environmental footprint.

Green Power Community Logo

GREEN POWER COMMUNITY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the Village of Montgomery a Green Power Community, recognizing its use of green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Through this program, the EPA works with more than a thousand partners to purchase billions of kilowatt hours of green power annually and encourage ways to reduce the environmental impacts of purchased electricity use. 

Greenest Region Compact Logo

GREENEST REGION COMPACT

Since 2007, Montgomery has been part of the Greenest Region Compact (GRC), which leverages the strength of municipal government to build vibrant, sustainable communities across the Chicago region. The program's goals align with significant local, regional, national, and global goals and are broadly supported by municipal members of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. Together, they guide municipal action, support mayors as environmental leaders, and foster collaboration that positively impacts regional sustainability.  See the complete list of GRC Communities.

SolSmart Logo

SOLSMART

The Community Development Department took the initiative to begin to facilitate solar energy usage in Montgomery. In May 2019, due to their efforts, the Village was honored with the SolSmart Gold Designation in recognition of meeting official criteria and adopting solar best practices. This, along with an educational forum the Village hosted, has jump-started interest in solar power in Montgomery and assisted over 100 households in installing solar panels since that time.

PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES

BIKE SHARE PROGRAM

The Fox Valley Bike Share Program utilizes a system allowing community members to rent bikes for local transportation. Bike rental locations are spread throughout the region, so you can rent a bike in Montgomery and drop it off at another location. The system uses a virtual boundary to delineate rental pick-up and drop-off zones. Koloni (the vendor contracted for the Bike Share Program) operates and oversees the full-time fleet of bicycles and will return bikes to their home stations.

Montgomery’s bike share location is at the Village Hall, 200 N. River St. This location provides a great starting point to traverse the Fox River and Virgil Gilman trails. Bike rental rates are $4 for the first hour and $5 for each additional hour. A daily, monthly, or annual subscription is also available for purchase.

EV READINESS PROGRAM 

The Village of Montgomery proudly announced its commitment to Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness in 2023. The initiative aligns with the Village’s dedication to environmental stewardship and embraces the future of clean, efficient transportation. As part of this commitment, the Village works alongside local government agencies participating in the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus EV Readiness Cohort.

There is an electric vehicle charging station at Village Hall (200 N. River St.), which was obtained by Kane County.  Electric vehicles do not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while driving, and hybrid cars use their battery to significantly improve the distance you can travel. The charging station allows individuals with electric vehicles to charge/refuel at the Village Hall.

ELECTRICAL AGGREGATION PROGRAM

Montgomery customers may enroll with Eligo Energy for "green" renewable energy at the same rate as the ComEd rate. There is no difference in cost to the consumer. However, this provides green energy credits to the Village of Montgomery on behalf of all residents of the Village as one of our sustainability initiatives and helps qualify us as a Green Power Community.

LED STREET LIGHTBULBS

Beginning in the fall of 2019, Public Works team members began outfitting Montgomery's streetlight fixtures to accept LED bulbs, up to 50% more energy efficient than traditional sodium bulbs and can last 15 to 20 years. Montgomery received a grant from ComEd for $14,000 to help offset the cost of the initial phase of this project.