As energy transactions become more complex, Chicago firm seeks to simplify

A Chicago-area startup is garnering the attention of major industry players with a cloud-based platform for settling energy trades in the decentralized, digital 21st century. Aquilon Energy Services, based in Lisle, Illinois, has developed an Energy Settlement Network that leverages the power of web-based communication technology and big-data analytics to make it easier for energy companies and other firms to trade commodities like power, oil and natural gas.The need for this kind of service is growing. With the rise of renewable power and smart-grid technologies, the power grid itself is resembling more and more a vast, complex network of smaller and more distributed energy producers and consumers. As the number of stakeholders increases – and as the various flows of physical energy become more dynamic – there is demand for robust mechanisms that track, analyze and confirm the exchange of energy.