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ENERGY

Struggling Chicago Community Transformed by New

Energy Future
Advanced power generation and grid may electrify Bronzeville
By Daniel Cusick, ClimateWire on June 6, 2016

Chicago. Credit: Bert Kaufmann/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

CHICAGOLittlesayshightechaboutBronzeville,oneofthiscitysSouthSide
neighborhoodswherevacantlotsandboardedupbuildingsbegforattentionevenas
newluxurycondosandofficetowersriseafewmilestothenorth.

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ButBronzeville,aroughly2squaremileareaof40,000peoplewedgedbetweenthe
rejuvenatedSouthLoopandHydePark,homeoftheObamas,representsmuchmore
thananotherChicagoneighborhoodswimmingagainsttheeconomictide.

CommonwealthEdison,the110yearoldutilitythatpowersthiscityandmuchof
northernIllinois,planstomakethelargelyAfricanAmericanneighborhooditsfirst
CommunityoftheFuture,aplacewhereadvancedpowergenerationanddelivery
meetoneofthenationslargestandmostcomplexurbanlandscapes.

ForComEd,theinvestmentismorethanagoodwillgesturetoahistoriccommunity.
Itrepresentsacriticalearlytestforhowoneofthenationslargestutilitieswill
operateinarapidlychangingworldonewherethegridisnolongeraonewaystreet
carryingelectronstoconsumers,butamultidirectionalnetwork,orplatform,for
theexchangeofpower,informationandotherservices.

Ifsuccessful,utilityofficialssay,thesmartgridwillmakepowermoreaffordable,
accessibleandreliableforabroadcrosssectionofenergyconsumers,fromFortune
500firmsandaffluentsuburbanitestoinnercityresidentsandstorefrontbusinesses
likeJimmysFood&DelihereonEast35thStreetandSouthPrairieAvenue.

Onarecentweekday,SamAltawilwasringingupthemorningregularsatJimmys,
whereheisaclerkandpurveyorofneighborhoodnewsandgossip.Thestorehas
madeheadlinesbefore.Ayearago,Jimmyswasthebackdropofacornergunfire
exchangebetweenrivalgroups,leavingfourwoundedandoneinnocentbystander
deadjustoutsidethestore.

Onthismorning,thetalkwasallaboutthesurprisingdeathofPrince,thepopstar
whoelectrifiedtheworldwithhismusic,artandenigmaticpersona.Sowhenasked
aboutComEdsgridblueprintforBronzeville,Altawilsmiledandshrugged.

Neverheardofit,butImforitifithelpstheneighborhood,hesaid,notingthat
BronzevillelacksmanyofthebasicamenitiesthatotherChicagoneighborhoods
enjoy,likeaWalMartorTarget.

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LikemanyChicagoans,AltawilsaidheknowsComEdasthecompanythatkeeps
Jimmyslightson,itscoolerscoldanditscashregisterhumming.Buttheterms
smartgridandmicrogridmeanalmostnothinginaplacewhereelectricreliability
boilsdowntoasimpleequation:lightson,lightsoff.

Altawilisntalone.FewpeoplehereappeartobefamiliarwithBronzevillesstatusas
theCommunityoftheFuture,evenaftertheutilityhostedapublicrollouteventin
Februaryfeaturingtopexecutives,electedofficialsandcommunityleaders.

Ispend10hoursadayinhere,andIveneverheardacustomertalkaboutthegrid,
saidDavidMeyers,thethirdgenerationownerofMeyersAceHardware,which
openedinBronzevillein1921andremainsananchorbusinessinthecommunity.

Askedwhetherhethoughta$50milliongridimprovementprojectcouldimprove
livingconditionsinBronzeville,Meyersdemurred.

Imnotmuchfortellingotherpeoplewhattheyshoulddowiththeirmoney.What
wereallyneedaroundhereisjobs.

Yetsuchindifferencestandsincontrasttothemessagescomingfromcityandutility
leaders.

AnnePramaggiore,ComEdspresidentandCEO,hassaidBronzevillewouldprovide
afoundationtobuildthecleanenergyfutureweallwantandisawaytotailorthe
gridsothatitscustomizedandcommunitybased,moredynamicandcapableof
solvingspecificcustomerneedsatthecommunitylevel(seerelatedstory).

AldermanPatDowell,whose3rdWardencompassesBronzeville,saidthe
multimilliondollarComEdinitiativewouldhelpplacethecommunityontheverge
ofanewandexcitingrenaissance,poisedtoemergeasanepicenterofinnovation.

Thetransformation,officialssay,isalreadyunderway,evenifithasntcapturedthe

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neighborhoodsimagination.

IN THE LAND OF WINDSANITY, A MICROGRID

Forexample,severalthousandsmartmetersarenowspinninginthebackyardsand
basementsofhomesandbusinesseshere,providingtheneuronsofwhatComEdsays
willbeamorerobust,efficientandnimblepowersystemforthecommunity.

Amongotherthings,themetersabilitytotailorelectricitysupplyanddemandinreal
timeusingdigitalcommunicationswillhelpcustomersusepowermoreefficiently,
whilealsohelpingComEdrespondquicklytoweatheremergencies,accidental
outages,powersurgesandothergriddisruptions.

ComEdisalsoinvestingheavilyinsmartswitchesthatautomaticallyreroutepower
alongdistributionlinestobypassunplannedoutagesandbottlenecksthatputwhole
neighborhoodsatriskofgridfailure.

Andperhapsmostsignificantly,ComEdplanstodeployinBronzevillethefirstutility
ownedmicrogridintheUnitedStateseffectivelyallowingthecommunitytoisland
itselffromthebroaderpowergridandproduceitsownelectricityforresidents,
businesses,schoolsandinstitutions.

Upto10megawattsofgenerationcapacitycouldbebuiltintotheBronzeville
microgrid,officialssay,usingamixofdistributedresources.Theseincludesolar
panels,gasturbines,fuelcells,batterystorage,andcombinedheatandpower,
accordingtoComEdofficials.Duringagridemergency,thoseresourceswouldbe
tappedtokeepBronzevilleselectricityflowing,evenifsurroundingneighborhoodsgo
dark.

Extensivepoweroutagesaremorecommonherethanmanyoutsidersrealize,often
triggeredbywind,rain,snowandotherharshconditionsthatburnishChicagos
reputationastheWindyCity.

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LastFebruary,onanotherwisesunnyday,alowpressuresystemtrackingacrossthe
regionyielded60degreetemperaturesand70mphwinds,snappingtreesandutility
polesandplungingmorethan100,000ComEdcustomersintothedark.Theevent,
dubbedWindsanitybyaChicagoblogger,provedthatthecitysgridremains
vulnerablefiveyearsaftertheutilityreachedamodernnadiringridreliabilityand
performance.

A NEIGHBORHOOD REBIRTH

IntheannalsofChicagoweather,noyearstacksuplike2011.Thatswhenanearly
Februaryblizzardrememberedbymanyforitsfiercelightning,thunderandhail
dumpednearly2feetofsnowonOHareInternationalAirportwhilewindshowledto
morethan50mph.ComEdcustomeroutagessoaredintothehundredsofthousands.

Yetthatwasjustthebeginning.InJuneandJuly,aseriesofmegathunderstorms,
cookedbyhighpressureandsummerheat,againbroughtChicagosgridtoitsknees,
hobblingroughly2millioncustomersandcostingtheregionbillionsofdollarsinlost
infrastructureandbroadereconomicdamage.

Ina2012reporttotheIllinoisCommerceCommission,ComEdcalled2011itsworst
stormyearonrecordandpromisedtotakestepstohardenitsgridagainstoutages,
includingthroughtheexecutionofa$2.6billionstatebackedprogramthatcameto
becalledtheSmartGridLaw.

ThateffortisstillbeingimplementedacrossmuchofComEdsserviceterritory,
whichextendstomorethan11,000squaremilesandencompassessomeofthe
wealthiestcommunitiesinAmerica.Butithastakenonanimmediacyininnercity
communitieslikeBronzeville,whichsoonwillbeequippedwiththeCadillacofgrid
technologies,officialssay,eveniftherestoftheneighborhoodisstillwaitingforits
100,000miletuneup.

FromtheChicagoTransitAuthorityLtrainplatformonitswesternflank,Bronzeville
hasadistinctlyflatterhorizonthanthedowntownskylinejust3milestothenorth.
Midriseofficesandcommercialbuildingsareinterspersedwithsinglefamilyhomes,

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lowrentapartments,fastfoodrestaurants,andanassemblageoflocalshopsand
businesses.

Butthereisevidenceofrebirthhere,too.Tulipsspringupfromrandomstoop
gardens,andthehumoflawnmowersbreakstheAprilmorningquietalongSouth
MartinLutherKingJr.Drive,theneighborhoodsmainnorthsouththoroughfare.

Theareaisalsoseeinganinfluxofnewurbaniteswhoarebuyingandrehabilitating
Bronzevillesfadedgreystones,arguablysomeofthefinesthistorichomestobehad
inChicagoforlessthanahalfmilliondollars.Energyandmoneyalsoflowintothe
neighborhoodfromnearbyU.S.CellularField,homeoftheSouthSidesbeloved
WhiteSox.

BronzevillealsohasahandfulofwhatComEdconsiderscriticalloadsites.They
includetheheadquartersoftheChicagoPoliceandChicagoFiredepartments,the
IllinoisCollegeofOptometry,andMercyHospitalandMedicalCenteronitsnorthern
edge.

Wevetriedtowrapanenvelopearoundaprettygoodcrosssectionofthe
community,JoeSvachula,ComEdsvicepresidentforengineeringandsmartgrid,
saidduringarecentinterviewattheutilitysSouthLoopoffices.Itincludessome
criticalpowerlikepoliceandhospitals,butitalsohasalotofhousing,anditincludes
avarietyofincomelevelsandotherdemographicdiversity.Itsjustagreatcross
sectionofthecity.

LEARNING FROM THE MICROGRID NEXT DOOR

Whenitcomestoelectricityinnovation,Bronzevillealsoclaimsadistinctadvantage
overothercitylocationsbecauseitadjoinsoneoftheworldsleadingsmartgrid
researchcenters,theIllinoisInstituteofTechnology.

The8,000studentuniversity,throughitsRobertW.GalvinCenterforElectricity
Innovation,alreadyoperatesanadvancedmicrogrida9MWsystemcompletedin
2013thathasthecapacitytopowertheentirecampuswithoutasinglewattfrom

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ComEd.

TheIITmicrogridschiefarchitect,professorofelectricalengineeringMohammad
Shahidehpour,isoneofthenationsleadingexpertsongridinnovationandapartner,
alongwithhisGalvinCentercolleagues,toComEdastheutilityseekstodevelopwhat
willeffectivelybethemicrogridnextdoor.

ShahidehpoursaiddesignscallforthecampusandBronzevillemicrogridstointeract
witheachotherviaamastercontrollerbeingdevelopedbyComEd,IllinoisTech
andotherresearchpartnerswith$1.2millioninresearchsupportfromthe
DepartmentofEnergy.

Undernormalconditionsthemicrogridswilloperateindependentlyfromone
another,hesaid.ButifthereareextremeeventshereinChicago,thetwomicrogrids
willbeislanded,andtheywillbetiedtoa4kilovoltundergroundcable.

Iftheyneedmorepowerontheirsideofthefenceinanemergency,weshouldbe
abletodeliverittotheminstantaneously,headded.

InJanuary,DOEincreaseditsinvestmentintheComEdmicrogridprojectviaa$4
milliongrantaimedatdevelopingtheBronzevillessolarandenergystorage
capacities.OfficialssaysolararraysandbatterystoragearecriticaltoComEds
microgriddesignbecauseislandabledistributedenergyiswhatpowersthe
microgridwhennoothersourcesofenergyareavailable.

ComEd,whichhasamixedrecordofsupportforsolardevelopment,nowsaysit
welcomestheideaofbuildinglargeamountsofdistributedenergywithinits
footprint,solongasitsdoneinawaythatmaintainstheutilitysabilitytomanage
theflowofelectricitytocustomers.

Weretryingtomakesureallofourstakeholdersareserved,Svachulasaid.We
wantcommunitysolarandrooftopsolartogrowinthisstate,butweretryingtodoit
therightway.Wewanttogetthecostissueaddressedupfront.

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DOES IT HELP PEOPLE PAY LESS FOR ENERGY?

Butconsiderablehurdlesremain.InthestatecapitalofSpringfield,whereIllinois
electricitypolicyiswritten,somelawmakersandconsumeradvocatesviewComEd
anditsparentcompany,ExelonCorp.,asprofitmachineswhoseinitiativesdonot
alwaysalignwithcustomersneedsandinterests.

Forexample,theutilitysrecentproposaltoimposeanewgridaccesschargeon
residentialcustomersdrewfirefromconsumeradvocatesandarebukefromIllinois
AttorneyGeneralLisaMadigan(D).ShetoldthepublicationUtilityDivethat
ComEdsuntestedproposalwouldtakeawaycontrolandpredictabilityin
consumersbillsandshouldberejected.

YetforComEdtorealizemuchofitssmartgridvision,includingthedeploymentof
microgrids,officialssaytheutilityneedskeylegislativereformsthatallowittoearna
returnonitsefficiencyinvestments.Undercurrentlaw,ComEdisnotallowedto
includeenergyefficiencyprojectsinitsratebaseandcannotrecoupsuchcostsfrom
customers.

ComEdalsohasaskedtheLegislaturetochangeIllinoisnearly30yearoldCustomer
ChoiceandRateReliefAct,whichprohibitspowerprovidersfromowninggeneration
assets.Withoutsuchachange,officialssaytheycannotbuildnewsolarcapacityor
otherdistributedenergyresourceswithinmicrogridareaslikeBronzeville.

Svachulasaidheunderstandsthatsomelawmakersandregulatorsarereluctantto
cedemorecontrolandmoremoneytoComEd,whichin2014wasorderedbythe
Illinoiscourtstorefundcustomers$46millioninratehikes,including$9millionin
surchargesusedtofinanceasmartgridpilotprogramintheChicagoarea.

ButhesaidtheBronzevilleprojectputsalotofcommitmentsonusthathavetobe
metbeforeComEdreceivesapennyofitsinvestment.Moreover,hesaid,the
microgridinitiativeisprojectedtoactuallyreducecustomersratesoverthefirsttwo
yearsandwillberateneutralover10years.

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ComEdalsofacesanuphillclimbsellingthevirtuesofthesmartgridlocally,
especiallyinaplacelikeBronzeville,whereresidentsarewaryoflargeinstitutions.

PatriciaAbrams,executivedirectoroftheRenaissanceCollaborative,anonprofit
providingassistancetoBronzevillespoor,elderlyandhomeless,saidshewelcomes
ComEdscommitmenttotheneighborhood,butsheremainsdubiousaboutthe
benefitsthatamicrogridwillbringtolocalresidents.

Howdoweevenbegintotellpeopleaboutthebenefitofhavingacommunitygrid
whenmostofourresidentsdontknowwhatthegridis?Abramsasked.Whenyou
reachacertaineconomicrange,thesearethekindsofthingspeoplejustdontthink
about.

InmeetingsshehasattendedwithComEdofficials,Abramssaidexecutives
acknowledgethatwhiletheyvegotthetechnologypiecedown,theydonthavethe
socialpiece.AndunlessComEdcanprovideameaningfulsocialbenefitto
Bronzevillesuchasjobs,educationorworkertrainingAbramsbelievesmuchof
thecommunitywillremainindifferentabouttheCommunityoftheFuture.

Mypositiononthesmartgridcomesdowntoonequestion:Doesithelppeoplepay
lessforenergy?Abramssaid.BecauseIknowwhoeventuallybearsthecostsof
thesekindsofprojects.ItsnotComEd.Itstheratepayers.

ReprintedfromClimatewirewithpermissionfromEnvironment&Energy
Publishing,LLC.www.eenews.net,2026286500

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