ComEd to Showcase Digital Substation at IEEE PES T&D Technical Tour
Attendees of the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition will have an opportunity to step inside one of the Midwest’s most advanced substations, as Commonwealth Edison opens its Elk Grove facility for a technical tour focused on digitalization and the rapid rise of data center demand.
Scheduled for May 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, the tour will take participants to ComEd’s Elk Grove Substation, a gas-insulated substation (GIS) located in a region experiencing significant growth in data center development. Elk Grove Village and surrounding areas have become a major hub for digital infrastructure, placing new demands on grid capacity and reliability.
The facility plays a central role in meeting those needs, delivering high-capacity power to support expanding hyperscale and enterprise data center operations. Conference organizers say the tour will highlight how utilities are adapting infrastructure to keep pace with accelerating load growth tied to cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
A key focus of the visit will be the substation’s implementation of IEC 61850, an international standard for digital communication in substations. The Elk Grove site is ComEd’s first to deploy Sampled Values under the protocol, a move designed to enhance interoperability and enable more advanced monitoring and control.
Participants will also see what ComEd describes as its largest deployment of software-defined networking (SDN) within a substation environment. The approach allows for greater flexibility in managing communications networks while improving cybersecurity and real-time system visibility.
Once ongoing expansion projects are completed, the Elk Grove facility is expected to become the largest substation in ComEd’s northern region, underscoring its importance in long-term grid modernization and capacity planning efforts.
The tour is limited to 75 participants and costs $35. Transportation will be provided from McCormick Place, with attendees required to register in advance as part of the conference. Safety requirements include closed-toe shoes, and personal protective equipment will be provided if needed. Visitors should also be prepared to navigate multiple flights of stairs during the tour.