NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The Naperville Development Partnership (NDP) Board of Directors passed a resolution in support of the Naperville Smart Grid Initiative (NSGI) on Thursday morning, emphasizing that the upgrade to the City’s $360 million electric utility infrastructure is a solid benefit in the attraction and retention of businesses to Naperville.
“The Naperville business and development community stands firmly behind this project and the benefits it brings,” said Christine Jeffries, President of the Naperville Development Partnership. “Naperville businesses already enjoy some of the highest reliability and lowest electric rates in the Chicago area; and the efficiencies the smart grid will bring translate into even more direct savings for businesses. The Naperville Smart Grid Initiative is just another way Naperville is promoting a business-friendly climate and savings for its commercial utility customers.”
Throughout the past two decades, the City’s Department of Public Utilities-Electric has taken a leadership role nationally in deploying a continuous improvement model encompassing distribution automation, substation automation, automated metering infrastructure and a secure, robust fiber optic network. The NSGI is an innovative and important component of this ongoing process to upgrade the utility using digital technology and provide more efficient, cost-effective and reliable service to customers while empowering them with more information on their energy usage.
The resolution states that the NDP is charged with attracting and expanding business and industry in the City to create greater economy vitality and employment opportunities, and as such, the NDP relies on the high quality of City services, including electric power, to grow and attract these businesses. Because of this, the NDP has a vested interest in the City maintaining a strong and reliable electric system to meet the needs of existing and future businesses.
“The Naperville Smart Grid Initiative is the right move for our community and the right thing to do for our customers,” Community Relations Manager Nadja Lalvani said. “I am happy to report this project continues to move forward on time and on budget. Smart grid technology is the future of the utility industry, and Naperville is proud to be at the forefront.”
For more information on the NSGI, visit www.naperville.il.us/smartgrid.aspx. Sign up to receive the latest news on the NSGI via e-mail at www.naperville.il.us/enews.aspx. For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us. For more information on the NDP, visit www.naper.org.
