Illinois

The Economics of Clean Power

And how the market has outmaneuvered the political forces, so far.

While former CEO Charles Bayless says that economics remains the driving factor behind the shifting sands, there are plenty who would put the blame on the Obama administration and its “War on Coal.”

Integrated Distribution Planning

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

The next frontier, and the logical extension of integrated resource planning. Self-generation, the connected home, the celebrated internet of things – they all suggest it’s time to focus on the local grid.

A Greener Standard Offer

A new model to help restructured states add renewables to the default service portfolio.

By taking the intermittent supply of the renewable generator out of the generator’s compensation, the developer (and lenders) receive the stability they crave while supply customers avoid products they do not need.

Start the Conversation

The regulator’s role in a world divided by distributed generation.

A state utility commissioner urges her colleagues to begin planning now for distributed generation – before it’s too late.

Suzlon Announces Sale of 240 MW Big Sky Wind Farm to EverPower

Suzlon Group (Suzlon) completed the sale of the 240 MW Big Sky Wind Farm in Illinois to EverPower Wind Holdings, which was previously announced on April 9. Suzlon Group had recently acquired the Big Sky wind farm from Edison Mission Energy via their fully owned US-based subsidiary Suzlon Wind Energy Corp (SWECO). Suzlon and EverPower also agreed to a seven year service agreement, keeping SWECO involved in the project at the operations level.

IKEA Makes First Wind Farm Investment in the United States

IKEA made its first wind farm investment in the United States with the purchase of 98-MW Hoopeston Wind in Hoopeston, Illinois. The project is currently being constructed by Apex Clean Energy and is expected to be fully operational by the first half of 2015. The Hoopeston Wind project will install 49 Vestas V100-2.0 MW wind turbines near Hoopeston in Vermilion County, Illinois, approximately 110 miles south of Chicago.

Results-Based Regulation

A more dynamic approach to grid modernization.

The utility’s role is changing, and regulation must change along with it – to spur innovation and respond to evolving customer needs. Modernizing the industry will require a dynamic approach.

Modernizing with Trackers

Time-tested cost recovery mechanisms provide stable funding for infrastructure replacement.

Automatic tracker surcharges provide timely cost recovery for multi-year utility system improvement programs.

Illinois Power Holdings Completes Acquisition of Ameren Energy Resources

Illinois Power Holdings (IPH) completed its acquisition of New Ameren Energy Resources (AER), an Ameren subsidiary. The transaction includes AER and its subsidiaries Ameren Energy Generating Company (Genco), New AERG (AERG), and Ameren Energy Marketing Company (AEM). The AEM retail and marketing businesses, doing business as Homefield Energy, and the following plants are included in the transaction: Duck Creek, Coffeen, E.D. Edwards, Newton, and Joppa.

Utility 2.0 and the Dynamic Microgrid

Superstorm disruption calls for a new utility architecture.

When microgrids are optimized in a smart grid, they’ll usher in a new era of utility resilience and flexibility. Get ready for dynamic microgrids.