Press release
ComEd, EPRI Collaborate on Sustainable Electric Technology to Help Grow Healthy Food Year-Round
Installation of four climate-controlled, modified shipping containers help bring locally sourced produce to neighborhoods, support education opportunities in
About this update from Exelon Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\nInstallation of four climate-controlled, modified shipping containers help bring locally sourced produce to neighborhoods, support education opportunities in agriculture\n\n\n CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nTo help bring more locally sourced produce into communities, while supporting education opportunities in agriculture, ComEd is collaborating with EPRI, an independent, nonprofit energy R&D institute, to install four agricultural pods (ag pods) across northern Illinois.\n\n\nAn ag pod is a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) farm made from a custom shipping container equipped with LED lighting, a high-efficiency HVAC system, recirculating water pumps, a dehumidification system, and sensors. Indoor agriculture facilities like these allow for the year-round local production of a wide variety of crops regardless of outdoor conditions. The container uses electric technologies to create a microclimate that optimizes plant production and helps meet other community energy, water, and sustainability goals.\n\n\n“ComEd is proud to collaborate on this exciting project that will help sustainably increase access to healthy food in our communities and provide agricultural learning opportunities using this innovative farming method,” said Gil C. Quiniones, CEO of ComEd. “By helping the agriculture industry understand how lighting, water use and other systems impact plant production, we can help expand food resource options for disadvantaged communities across the areas we serve.”\n\n\nEach ag pod, which was fully installed and activated in early December, will be managed by a local organization that will receive training from ComEd, EPRI, and the farm’s manufacturer before becoming farm managers to the pod. Locations of each pod, and their supporting organizations are:\n\n\n\n4927 S. Indiana Ave. in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, managed by the Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative\n\n\n\n5812 S. Green St. in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood managed by Grow Greater Englewood\n\n\n\nNorthern Illinois University Anderson Hall, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, Ill., managed by Northern Illinois University’s Edible Campus program\n\n\n\n1443 S. Harding Ave. in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, managed by the Young Mens Educational Network (YMEN)\n\n\n\n“Indoor agriculture is a rapidly emerging industry across the United Sta...