51st State Perspectives | DERs are Coming and Illinois is Ready for Them

Illinois Is Stepping Up Its DER Game

GridWise Alliance ranked this Midwestern State No. 2 in its modernization index – but Illinois isn’t content with second place. Across all major aspects of grid transformation, Illinois is making exciting progress. Illinois is making significant investments in advanced distribution grid technologies and laying the groundwork for a future where:

• electricity delivery is more efficient
• customers have more choices
• utilities nimbly manage a potential influx of customer-sited resources to yield value back to the grid.

A Grid Transformation Path Other States Can Follow

Written in partnership with ScottMadden Inc., this report builds on concepts from SEPA’s 51st State Initiative. The report dives into changes in retail and wholesale market design, utility business models, rates and regulation, asset deployment, and information technology.

This report also delves into activities across these 51st market state concepts and gauges the degree of transformation such as promoting efficiencies, defining the roles of utilities and market participants, identifying principles of ratemaking, and fostering customer choice.

Within the report, you will also find a framework that can help stakeholders in other states take note of the areas of significant focus and activity in their states, gauge the rate of transformation, identify the important connecting points and gaps, and ultimately arrive at a more holistic view of market transformation in their particular jurisdiction.