Illinois hopes to remove financial barriers to integrating renewable energy in the grid

The Illinois Commerce Commission proposed a rule that would allow utilities to treat cloud computing resources as a capital expense, the same accounting treatment as traditional on-site computing resources. The renewable energy industry is showing strong support for this rule because cloud computing resources promote a more flexible grid system, which is key to increased generation of renewable energy resources, grid reliability, low-cost power for consumers, and emissions reductions. Furthermore, even if it is yet unclear which computing system is best for a utility, the motive underlying the proposed rule is that utilities should not be forced to make technology decisions based on outdated accounting rules. A9.com, Aero Payments, Amazon, Expanergy, Johnson Controls, and Sunverge Energy  are some of the companies positioned to profit from this change.