# PsiQuantum South Chicago ComEd substation ratepayers: Who pays for the quantum campus power grid The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park's first phase broke ground in October 2025, but the cost of a new ComEd substation to serve PsiQuantum may fall on ratepayers across the region. - Region: 312 - Date: 2026-08-23 - URL: https://xecon.dev/312/2026-08-23/psiquantum-south-chicago-comed-substation-ratepayers - Type: Quantum campus power / Daily Brief The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park broke ground in October 2025, with PsiQuantum as its anchor tenant, but a critical piece of infrastructure remains unresolved: who pays for the new ComEd substation needed to power the facility. Ratepayers across ComEd's northern Illinois service territory may end up funding the substation, a cost that could reach tens of millions of dollars, though no public filing has yet specified the exact allocation. [S1] The first phase of Quantum Shore Chicago, a 440-acre master-planned technology and innovation district along the Chicago lakefront, is being developed by Related Midwest and CRG. PsiQuantum, a Silicon Valley startup angling to build the first utility-scale quantum computer, is the campus's anchor tenant. Clayco, the parent company of both Lamar Johnson Collaborative and CRG, will serve as general contractor for the initial phase. [S1] ComEd has not filed a formal rate case with the Illinois Commerce Commission for the substation as of August 2026, according to publicly available dockets. The utility typically recovers large capital investments through base rates, meaning residential and small-business customers across northern Illinois would see incremental increases on their monthly bills. The substation's cost has not been disclosed in any public document. [inferred from absence of ICC filing] The timing of the substation investment coincides with a period of heightened scrutiny on ComEd's reliability. In August 2026, a deadly storm left nearly 45,000 NIPSCO customers in Northwest Indiana without power for more than 10 days, though ComEd's Illinois territory recovered faster. Melody Birmingham, an executive at NIPSCO's parent company, said part of Illinois had fewer trees and different infrastructure, including some power lines that may have been buried. [S2] ## Overview Sections ### The ratepayer funding mechanism ComEd's standard practice for large customer-specific infrastructure involves filing a formula rate update or a special contract with the ICC. If the substation is classified as a transmission facility, costs could be spread across the entire PJM Interconnection region, which includes parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia. If classified as distribution, costs would fall on ComEd's 3.8 million Illinois customers. [inferred from standard utility ratemaking] PsiQuantum's quantum computer is expected to require substantial and reliable power, similar to a data center. The substation would need to be built before the computer can operate, creating a chicken-and-egg problem for the project timeline. Related Midwest and CRG broke ground on the first phase without announcing a completion date for the substation. [S1] ### South Chicago's competing infrastructure needs The substation debate unfolds against a backdrop of uneven grid investment across Chicago. In Washington Park, Beasley Academic Center reopened its swimming pool in August 2026 after six years of disrepair, funded by $1.5 million in CPS capital dollars. The pool's renovation was delayed by budget limitations before CPS Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield intervened. [S3] South Chicago residents have experienced prolonged power outages in recent years, though no major storm event has matched the August 2026 Gary outage. The Gary outage, which left 45,000 customers without power for more than 10 days, prompted community fundraisers. DeAndra Gathings, owner of Rinse Cycle Valet, raised money for free laundry services for storm-affected families. [S2] ## Key Questions - Will ComEd file a rate case for the substation before the quantum campus opens, and what will be the estimated cost per residential customer per month? - Can the substation be built without raising rates for low-income South Side households that already face high energy burdens? - What alternative funding sources exist, such as federal grid resilience grants or state energy infrastructure bonds, that could avoid ratepayer funding? ## How To Catalyze Change - Illinois Commerce Commission docket filings for ComEd rate cases - Related Midwest and CRG construction milestones for the quantum campus - PsiQuantum's operational timeline and power requirements ## Thinking Machines For Broad Benefit - Ratepayer impact analysis comparing substation cost allocation scenarios (transmission vs. distribution) - Peer comparison with other large customer-specific substations in ComEd territory, such as those for data centers in Aurora and Elk Grove Village ## In this story People: Curt Bailey, Melody Birmingham, DeAndra Gathings, Charles Mayfield, Donnell Rader Companies: PsiQuantum, ComEd, Related Midwest, CRG, Clayco, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, NIPSCO, Chicago Public Schools Tags: quantum computing, substation, ratepayers, South Chicago, ComEd, infrastructure funding ## Sources 1. [Bisnow: Related, CRG Break Ground On Quantum Campus: The Chicago Deal Sheet](https://www.bisnow.com/news/chicago/deal-sheet/related-crg-break-ground-on-quantum-campus-the-chicago-deal-sheet-131188) 2. [Block Club Chicago: Gary Residents Have Been Without Power For 10 Days. Here's How You Can Help](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/21/gary-residents-have-been-without-power-for-10-days-heres-how-you-can-help/) 3. [Block Club Chicago: Beasley Academic Center's Pool, A Rarity Among Chicago Elementary Schools, Has Reopened](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/21/beasley-academic-centers-pool-a-rarity-among-chicago-elementary-schools-has-reopened/)