ComEd Approved to Build One of First Microgrid Clusters in the Nation
March 1, 2018 --
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on February 28 approved ComEd's plan to construct one of the first utility-scale microgrid clusters in the nation in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. The project, which has received more than $5 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will enable the study of how microgrids support the integration of clean energy onto the grid and increase grid security to keep power flowing even during extreme weather or a catastrophic event.
'The importance of grid security will only continue to grow along with our increasing reliance on electricity,' said Anne Pramaggiore, president and CEO, ComEd. 'This microgrid demonstration project will provide critical learnings on how to protect against and recover from disruptive events, including extreme weather, as well as physical or cyber-attacks. We're glad to receive approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission and funding support from the DOE to move this important project forward and gain the valuable insights that it will bring to us, the state and the nation.'
The demonstration microgrid project will be located within the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, in an area bounded from 33rd Street to the North, 38th Street to the South, State Street to the West, and South Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drive to the East. Bronzeville was selected following a comprehensive study to evaluate locations where a microgrid could be located. The study developed an overall resiliency metric for small sections of ComEd's northern Illinois service territory and identified locations where a microgrid could best address both security and resiliency, with a focus on public good. The project will serve an area that includes 10 facilities providing critical services, including the Chicago Public Safety Headquarters, the De La Salle Institute and the Math & Science Academy, a library, public works buildings, restaurants, health clinics, public transportation, educational facilities, and churches.
The project builds upon ComEd's smart grid platform and a continuous effort to advance the design and performance of the electric system serving northern Illinois. Phase I of the project will include 2.5 MW of load and require reconfiguration of an existing feeder, and installation of battery storage and solar PV. It will directly serve approximately 490 customers. Phase II of the project will add approximately 570 customers and an additional 4.5 MW of load and 7 MW of DERs, enough to meet the peak electricity demand of customers within the microgrid footprint and maintain service when the microgrid is islanded from ComEd's grid. The completed project will serve approximately 1,060 residential, commercial, and small industrial customers.
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