NextGrid to hold Illinois study update and public comment session this week

An update and public comment session will be held this week on the consumer-focused study NextGrid, designed to address critical issues facing Illinois’ electric utility industry in the coming decade.

The 18-month study is managed by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), and will examine the use of new technologies to improve the state’s electric grid while minimizing energy costs to consumers.

“The electric industry is in a period of dramatic change – with the growth of solar and other renewable energy, electric vehicles and the Internet of Things – leading to greater choices and more empowered consumers,” ICC Chairman Brien Sheahan said. “We want residential, commercial and industrial electric consumers to have a voice in reshaping the energy landscape and the modernization of the electric grid.”

In all, seven working groups comprise the NextGrid study, all working to identify, research and develop modernization and improvements in different areas of the Illinois electric grid. These groups include those focused on New Technology Deployment and Grid Integration; Metering, Communications and Data; Reliability, Resiliency and Cyber Security; Customer and Community Participation; Electricity Markets; Regulatory and Environmental Policy Issues; and Ratemaking.

Presentations overviewing all seven of the Working Groups will be given at sessions held in Carbondale and Urbana-Champaign, after which the public will have the opportunity to ask questions or offer written or verbal comments.