In a move with far-reaching implications for grid decentralization, Illinois regulators yesterday approved Commonwealth Edison’s cutting-edge microgrid cluster in Chicago. The Illinois Institute of Technology, part of the upcoming microgrid cluster The first utility-scale microgrid cluster in the nation, the $25 million project is expected to demonstrate what some see as an eventual retooling of today’s centralized electric system into a grid-of-microgrids. “As the electric grid becomes increasingly digital and the demand for renewable power, security and reliability grows, microgrids are expected to become mainstream and will become a core piece of the electric system’s infrastructure,” said Fidel Marquez, ComEd senior vice president, in a call with the media Wednesday. Microgrid cluster to learn by The ComEd microgrid with integrate with another microgrid already in operation at a nearby technical college, the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). The utility will then study the functioning of the clustered microgrids and […]