ComEd Smart Grid and System Upgrades Improve Reliability and Help to Prepare for Winter Weather
November 04 2015 - 10:22AM
Business Wire
Improvements ensure power reliability and offer
customers more ways to manage their electric bills
While fall temperatures have been mild, winter weather is just
around the corner. Today ComEd announced that investments to
strengthen and modernize its electrical delivery system are helping
to improve power reliability and ensuring that the utility is ready
to serve its customers this winter.
“The work done by ComEd to modernize and storm harden the
electrical grid has contributed to record-breaking reliability over
the last two years,” said Terence R. Donnelly, executive
vice-president and chief operating officer for ComEd. “As we
approach the winter and the potential for heavy snow and ice, this
work will help ensure that our customers have reliable energy to
meet their needs.”
With the passage of the Smart Grid law by the Illinois General
Assembly in 2011, ComEd embarked on a $2.6 billion program to
modernize the power system in northern Illinois. Through
investments in smart switches that reroute power around potential
problem areas, new storm hardening and vegetation management
solutions, and cable replacement, as well as other system
improvement programs, more than 5.6 million customer interruptions
have been avoided since 2012. Last year alone, more than 1.5
million interruptions did not occur due to the reliability
improvements ComEd is making to its system. In fact, despite severe
weather conditions, including several tornadoes earlier this year,
ComEd has produced record reliability for the first half of 2015.
Due to system improvements, more than 1.6 million customer
interruptions have been avoided so far this year.
ComEd’s proposed legislation, known as ComEd’s Future Energy
Plan, builds on the benefits of the smart grid through, among other
improvements, the development of six microgrids which will provide
additional resiliency and reliability in the face of extreme
weather or man-made events. The plan also calls for expanded
support for renewable energy in Illinois and ensures that energy
consumers and the state economy will continue to benefit from
affordable power, a more secure and resilient grid.
“We are continuing to explore opportunities to bring new
technology to the grid that will improve reliability,” said
Donnelly. “Our Future Energy Plan delivers value to our customers
through clean energy, energy savings, grid resiliency and customer
choice.”
ComEd also offers the following no costs/low costs tips to help
customers safely prepare their homes for winter weather, manage
their energy usage and reduce electricity costs.
- Set your thermostat up to 10 degrees
lower during the winter, when you leave your home and before going
to sleep. You could save up to 15 percent a year on heating and
cooling costs.
- Check your HVAC filter every month. If
the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. A dirty filter
will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you
warm thus wasting energy.
- Replace incandescent holiday lights
with LEDs (lighting emitting diode). LEDs typically consume about
75% less energy and can last up to 10 times longer. They’re also
more durable, shock-resistant and generate less heat compared to
traditional incandescent light strands.
- Inspect the caulking and
weather-stripping around all windows, doors and openings for
utility services, replacing as necessary. Also, check ducts that
move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner,
or heat pump, which are often big energy wasters.
- Take advantage of the home energy
savings available through the ComEd Smart Ideas® Energy Efficiency
Program. Get a free home energy assessment; receive rebates on
weatherization and AC replacements, and save instantly with
in-store discounts on CFLs, LEDs and more.
To help customers in need, ComEd distributed $10 million in
financial assistance this year and has dedicated an additional $10
million for distribution starting January 2016. Customers can visit
the nearest satellite site, CEDA (Cook County) or LIHEAP (Suburbs)
agency to apply for assistance. For a list of social service
agencies accepting applications, please call CEDA at (800) 571-2332
or LIHEAP at (877) 411-9276 or visit ComEd.com.
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based
Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive
energy provider, with approximately 7.8 million customers. ComEd
provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across
northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For
more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151104006155/en/
ComEd Media Relations312-394-3500
Exelon (NYSE:EXC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Exelon (NYSE:EXC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024