ComEd finishes new substation for Rochelle, Illinois
The city of Rochelle, Ill., and ComEd finished adding a new substation this week to support the municipal electric system with increased reliability and room for growth.
The announcement followed 20 months of construction and $18 million of investment. It includes a new 138kV transmission line and the new 138kV substation itself, located on four acres on the south side of the city. It should help provide for data center growth in the region, along with other business technology needs.
“Through our continued investments to expand and modernize the grid, ComEd is ensuring reliable, resilient energy to support over 9 million people in northern Illinois while making the region more competitive for new business growth and the jobs that come with it,” Gil Quiniones, CEO of ComEd said. “Thanks to our partnership with the City of Rochelle, this new substation will provide capacity needed to power new economic growth benefitting Rochelle and the region.”
ComEd said additions like this have helped ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory draw in numerous businesses. Last year alone, its Economic Development Team reported that it helped support 16 new industrial projects promising $3 billion of investment into the area. On ComEd’s side, that will mean 548 MW of new committed capacity.
“The City of Rochelle is proud to partner with ComEd to deliver added electrical capacity that will support business expansion plans in our city,” Mayor John Bearrows of Rochelle said. “The fact that this project was completed in less than two years during a pandemic is a testament to our partnership and a strong commitment by ComEd and Rochelle Municipal Utilities to prepare their customers for the future. The new substation will allow Rochelle to better serve existing and planned customers and attract new businesses looking to invest, assuring them we have the infrastructure needed to scale for their demands today and in the years ahead.”
