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This week, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC or Commission) launched NextGrid, an initiative to explore the utility of the future. It will be an 18-month statewide collaborative aimed at transforming Illinois’ energy landscape and economy. The study will focus on finding new technologies, utility business models and regulatory strategies to transform the state’s grid into…

Got plans for the summer? Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, the University of California at Davis and Washington State University are addressing the challenge of how to protect the nation’s power grid by improving the way the power grid infrastructure is built, making it more secure, reliable and…

In the past, customer education typically meant nothing more than a bill insert and perhaps an additional public notice. Then came the smart grid and suddenly more is required… much more. Ameren Illinois conducted a quantitative study to measure its customers’ baseline awareness about AMI. Key findings revealed:

  • 63% of customers have heard the term

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A recent City of Naperville (“Naperville”) smart meter case is a flashback to first year constitutional law. The Naperville Smart Meter Awareness (“NSMA”) group and several of its members, citing numerous health, safety, security and privacy concerns over smart meters that wirelessly transmit data about electric use to Naperville, sued Naperville in the Eastern District…

On June 29, 2012, a major storm system known as a derecho (“deh-REY-cho”) formed and moved across Illinois through the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic States. The 2012 Derecho traveled about 600 miles in about 10 hours. Approximately 4.2 million customers were without power across 11 States and the District of Columbia and restoration in some…

Fresh off of an overnight flight from attending the SmartEnergy International Summit in San Francisco, my cell phone rings this morning. It’s my mother with breaking news: “Hi Linda, I am calling to let you know we are getting the smart grid!” “Really.” “Yep. They voted to override the governor. Now I know you are…