ComEd Selects Enchanted Rock for Bronzeville Community Microgrid Project

HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd, an energy provider serving more than 4 million customers in northern Illinois, has selected Enchanted Rock to provide managed power resiliency for its Bronzeville Community Microgrid project on Chicago's South Side. Enchanted Rock's natural gas-fueled generation will help ensure that community power needs are met in the event of disruptive events by integrating distributed energy resources, including solar PV and energy storage. The demonstration microgrid is scheduled for completion in 2022.

Approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2018, the microgrid is demonstrating resilience-building technologies and the integration of utility-enabled renewable power. By connecting to a microgrid on the campus of Illinois Tech, the Bronzeville Community Microgrid will create the nation's first utility-operated microgrid cluster and provide a unique opportunity to study the interaction and sharing of energy resources. The microgrid will serve more than 1,000 residences, businesses, and public institutions, including the headquarters of the Chicago Police and Fire Departments. In the event of a major disruption to ComEd's main grid, the microgrid will enable first responders to meet the needs of customers in its footprint and the broader region.

"Enchanted Rock will help us ensure the Bronzeville microgrid provides continuous power in the event of a major interruption, and it will do so cost effectively and with lower emissions," said Michelle Blaise, senior vice president of Technical Services, ComEd. "The Enchanted Rock solution provides clean, fast-response power resiliency that integrates with our existing solar and battery storage assets in support of our clean grid goals."

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Enchanted Rock will own and operate the microgrid's power generating system and use its integrated Reliability on Call (iROC) service to deliver long-duration backup power with the cleanest technology available. 24/7/365 monitoring by the company's Microgrid Network Operations Center (mNOC) helps identify and address issues before they become problems. Power Solutions International, Inc. (PSI), headquartered in Wood Dale, Illinois, supplies Enchanted Rock's engines and gensets from its plants in the Chicago area and the Great Lakes region.

"ComEd's Bronzeville project is recognized as one of the most innovative microgrid designs in the nation," said Thomas McAndrew, founder and CEO of Enchanted Rock. "We're excited to partner with ComEd to demonstrate the ability of microgrids to keep power flowing to communities and critical infrastructure while supporting the use of renewable energy resources."

About Enchanted Rock
At Enchanted Rock, our mission is making sure the power is on for our customers. Our Managed Power Resiliency solution has reinvented how organizations ensure power resiliency with fully managed, clean microgrids. We provide patented advanced technology, support services, and flexible pricing options designed for fast, simple, and worry-free protection from grid outages lasting from minutes to weeks so our customers can focus on their core business. High availability solutions, backed by skilled personnel, result in low risk, predictable resiliency. To learn more about the Enchanted Rock Managed Power Resiliency solution, visit www.enchantedrock.com or visit us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Enchanted Rock, LLC