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

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

Most people in the industry agree the electric infrastructure is outdated and requires extensive upgrades. It’s when you get to the “How?” and “Who pays for it?” that the war begins in many jurisdictions. And if you think that having a law that supports the upgrades and implementation of the smart grid settles the matter

Facebook, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Opower along with 16 utilities recently launched a social energy app to help customers become more energy efficient. Leveraging the Facebook platform, the app allows people to quickly and easily start benchmarking their home’s energy usage against similar homes, compare energy use with friends, enter energy-saving competitions and

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

On March 8, 2011, ComEd’s president, Anne Pramaggiore, testified before Illinois lawmakers on the urgent need to enact The Infrastructure Modernization Act. “We live our lives and conduct our business on the grid,” said Pramaggiore, as she describes a customer’s experience during a winter storm. “A few days after the blizzard of February 2011