wiredInUSA January 2019

Chicago-based ComEd has entered into a partnership with Massachusetts- based AMSC to deploy AMSC’s high temperature superconductor technology to link a number of ComEd’s substations. The aim is to improve Chicago’s load-serving capacity, resilience and reliability. The project is funded in part by the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security as a step to securing the nation’s electric grid against outages caused by man- made or natural events. The ComEd project will be the first commercial installation in the nation of what is called resilient electric grid (REG) technology. The current design of grid infrastructure in many urban areas makes restoration of power, after a catastrophic event, time-consuming, expensive and unpredictable. REG is a self-healing solution that provides redundancy if portions of the grid are lost for any reason. REG technology can increase the reliability and load-serving capacity of the electric grid by enabling the use of transmission and distribution assets in a way that is not possible with traditional technologies, while at the same time limiting the need for additional grid infrastructure and thus reducing cost.

Resilient grids

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wiredInUSA - January 2019