Governor Quinn Backs Illinois Smart Grid Collaboration

CHICAGO – September 9, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the State of Illinois’ support for the Illinois Smart Grid Collaboration, a public-private partnership led by the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The partnership positions Illinois to become a national leader in the development of a smarter, stronger and more secure electrical grid.

“This Collaboration will help create an electrical grid that is secure and reliable,” said Governor Quinn. “This investment will create jobs and ensure Illinois families and businesses have access to technology that will lower their energy use, and their energy costs.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides nearly $4 billion in competitive funding to expedite the deployment of a more technologically advanced national energy grid. $615 million of the funding is for regional demonstration projects. The funding also supports investment in the development of secure, energy efficient products that will allow American consumers and businesses to tap into greener sources of power and use less energy.

The Illinois Smart Grid Collaboration is competing for $60 million of the regional demonstration projects ARRA funding. If federal funding is received, the State of Illinois will invest up to $30 million in total matching funds for two advanced technology development and testing centers that help to speed the adoption of a national smart energy grid by improving product quality, security and reliability. These centers will work in partnership with energy providers and individual communities to ensure consumers and industrial users benefit from technological advancements. The total project cost is estimated at $120 million.

More than 60 organizations lent their support to the proposal, including ComEd, Ameren, the Galvin Electricity Initiative, the City of Chicago and the Village of Oak Park.

Earlier this year, Governor Quinn signed the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now!help revive the state’s ailing economy and create and retain hundreds of thousands of jobs during the next six years.