Two Perspectives on a Singular Partnership

by Jed Weiner, editor, ISTC Catalyst

Earlier this year, a unique Illinois public-private partnership of research centers, utilities, municipalities and more than 50 private companies applied for federal funding for a $120 million Smart Grid demonstration project. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently committed up to $30 million to the effort, known as the Illinois Statewide Smart Grid Collaborative. The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) guide the project, which is intended to accelerate the adoption of the Smart Grid in Illinois, and nationally.  The Collaborative applied as a Smart Grid Regional Demonstration project under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, seeking $60 million (50% match of the $120 million project budget) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE).

With a decision from DoE expected in early November, ISTC Catalyst interviewed the two professors who serve as co-leaders of the Collaborative: Mohammad Shahidehpour, PhD, Department Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bodine Professor, IIT; and Tom Overbye, PhD, Fox Family Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, UIUC. 

How did your universities decide the best way to work together to write the proposal?
Dr. Mohammad Shahidehpour, IIT: We divided the roles and responsibilities based upon the strengths and capabilities of our two universities, and those of our other partners.  For example, IIT was already quite far along in the implementation of our Perfect Power system, so it was quite natural to build upon the existing experiences, expand the existing project to a full, complete, scalable, and replicable system, and utilize the existing project to establish a Smart Grid academic, research and technology development center. 

Dr. Tom Overbye, UIUC: Similarly, we have great expertise in the interaction between the electric power grid and its underlying cyber infrastructure though our work over the past four years on our NSF-funded TCIP (Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid) project, so it was best to locate the Illinois Smart Grid Validation Facility at the University of Illinois.    

What role will each of your universities play if the proposal is funded? 
Dr. Overbye: Here at the University of Illinois, in collaboration with PowerWorld Corporation, we are focused on a regional demonstration of how new and more cost-effective Smart Grid technologies, tools, techniques, and system configurations can be used in trustworthy configurations that will significantly improve upon the ones that are either in common use today, or that will likely be implemented shortly.  We believe this is a much-needed component to help accelerate the implementation of the Smart Grid nationwide.

Dr. Shahidehpour: IIT has already established itself as a leader in the Smart Grid technological revolution by working to build on its main campus in Chicago the first-ever fully functional Perfect Power System. If our proposal receives funding, IIT will expand and enhance the Perfect Power project to make it a full, complete, scalable and replicable system. IIT will leverage that resource to build a 125,000 sq. ft. national Smart Grid academic, research and technology development center.  This IIT Smart Grid Demonstration Center will allow researchers, companies, innovators, and entrepreneurs to "plug-in" to IIT's Perfect Power system and work together to advance Smart Grid research and technology, overcome obstacles to the national adoption and implementation of the Smart Grid, and ensure the security and reliability of the Smart Grid.

Did you come away with new learnings about partnerships through the proposal-writing process?
Dr. Overbye: We are quite excited about the opportunity to work more closely with IIT and the other partners, such as Argonne National Lab.  Illinois has a strong tradition of working in close collaboration with other universities, national labs, and industrial partners.  The proposal writing process allowed us to better understand the strengths of our respective organizations, permitting us to put together what we feel is a very strong proposal that will greatly benefit not only the State of Illinois, but also the entire country. 

Dr. Shahidehpour: The proposal writing process mobilizes the academic, industrial, national lab, governmental, and community resources within the State of Illinois.  It promotes mutual understanding among all the participating entities, which could benefit all parties in future similar projects.

Why is Illinois deserving of federal funds for this project?
Dr. Shahidehpour:  Due to Illinois's strategic location, an Illinois-based regional demonstration project has significant national implications for Smart Grid implementation. Illinois serves as a central hub for the nation's transmission grid and electricity markets, as emphasized by the state's participation in both the Midwest Transmission System Operator (MISO) and PJM Interconnection electric transmission systems. These are historical and present-day strengths. As a central hub, Illinois seems to be a logical choice for a large-scale demonstration project.

Second, the state's universities and utilities are deeply engaged in the Smart Grid initiative and have the expertise and experience to provide a strong return on this investment.  Third, we are nationally significant due to the Collaborative's efforts to speed the effective adoption of the Smart Grid through a unique community-, consumer- and market-based approach. With engagement at each of these levels, and with the availability of the IIT Smart Grid Demonstration Center that I mentioned earlier, this project provides a format to ensure the expected benefits of Smart Grid adoption are widely adopted.

Dr. Overbye: Through this proposal we have put together a coalition that should ultimately result in a more secure and reliable electric grid for consumers across the country.  I agree with Mohammad's points, and I'd like to add that the Collaborative's proposal will enable the integration of much more renewable energy, such as wind and solar, into the electric grid than we are capable of integrating today.  As a regional demonstration project, our effort will help to spur the creation of more green energy jobs throughout the country. 

What should public officials and private sector executives know about the Illinois Statewide Smart Grid Collaborative and its proposal?
Dr. Overbye: This proposal represents an excellent plan for helping to accelerate the implementation of the Smart Grid, and we have the team in place to make it happen.  We are very grateful for the support we have received from the State of Illinois and from our industrial partners, and hope for a positive response from Department of Energy so we can get started. 

Dr. Shahidehpour: More than 60 organizations have lent their support to the proposal, including ComEd, Ameren, Argonne National Laboratory, and the City of Chicago, to name just a few. Such broad support and cooperation underscores Illinois' leadership in working toward the common goal of a greener and more secure economy. The Collaborative will benefit the state and the nation, so public officials and private sector executives should continue to support this critical statewide initiative.  Our expectation is that this project will lead to lower electricity bills, mitigation of blackouts and elimination of other power interruptions, cleaner energy and reduced carbon emission through reductions in demand for electricity during peak periods, and an increase in product innovations, green jobs and other economic development opportunities.

For more information on the Collaborative, please see the Quick Facts document in this section of ISTC Catalyst.