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Ameren Illinois opens new testing facility
[September 03, 2013]

Ameren Illinois opens new testing facility


Sep 03, 2013 (MarketLine via COMTEX) -- Ameren Illinois has opened a new $3.3 million testing facility that will help facilitate R&D of smart grid technologies and support the state's economic development and job creation goals.

The Technology Applications Center (TAC) will provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with the infrastructure and resources needed to test programs, technologies, business models and other smart grid-related energy improvements on a live grid.



The TAC is a key component of the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act (EIMA) passed by the General Assembly in 2011. Under EIMA, Ameren Illinois is investing an additional $643 million over 10 years, through its Modernization Action Plan, or MAP, to make improvements to the electric grid to make it more efficient and reliable and to create hundreds of new jobs.

"The TAC will give promising businesses and entrepreneurs access to an on-grid testing facility to help take their innovations to the next level," said Richard Mark, president and CEO, Ameren Illinois. "We must continue to foster an environment of innovation if Illinois is to remain economically competitive and able to create jobs in the 21st century economy." Located west of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Park, the TAC also provides an opportunity for Ameren Illinois and the university to jointly research smart grid-related technologies and collaborate on testing and validation procedures, as well as test plan development. The facility will provide an on-grid test environment that complements the university's off-grid testing and simulation capabilities. The collaboration will be further enhanced by a fiberoptic link between the TAC and the UI power lab, which supports a number of grid research activities.


The TAC features a substation and two distribution circuit feeders that will enable developers to test smart grid-related equipment by connecting to 69,000-and 12,000-volt systems on the utility's energy distribution network. The facility can accommodate both utility-scale testing as well as residential products testing, which will include a simulated working kitchen with smart grid-enabled appliances as well as advanced meters which can be used to test smart grid-related devices.

"We live in a technologically advanced world where people are connected like never before. Ameren Illinois' commitment to build a smarter grid will help ensure that wherever and whenever power is needed, our system will be ready," Mark said.

"The Technology Applications Center is an excellent platform that will open the door for great innovations to turn into great businesses," said Jason Blumberg, CEO and managing director of Energy Foundry. "Ameren Illinois' cross-cutting test capabilities are impressive and Energy Foundry is excited to be a part of this unique commercialization initiative." http://www.datamonitor.com Republication or redistribution, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent. Datamonitor shall not be liable for errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon

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