Articles from ComEd

As temperatures drop, ComEd’s Energy Doctors are available to offer energy-saving tips that can help families and individuals manage energy use and save money on electric bills.

ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (Caucus) today announced the third cohort of communities participating in the EV Readiness Program, a unique initiative to help local governments prepare to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure. A total of 20 communities will receive technical assistance through the program that will enable them to streamline policies and implement best practices for safe and effective regional transportation electrification.

As the holiday season approaches, northern Illinois energy companies are joining the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Chicago and Northern Illinois to warn customers to be on heightened alert for attempted scams, which tend to increase during this time of year.

ComEd today joined workforce partners and members of the community in celebrating its newest graduating class from Power Up Academy, a career training program launched last year to remove barriers to entry for local residents pursuing engineering related careers. During the event, City Colleges of Chicago and ComEd announced plans to expand their partnership through the accreditation of the program, ensuring that all past and future participants of the program will have the opportunity to qualify for up to 13 credit hours as part of their 14-week training program.

In recognition of ComEd’s successful efforts to achieve best-in-class reliability, PA Consulting, the global innovation and transformation consultancy, yesterday presented the electric company the 2024 ReliabilityOne® award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Midwest Metropolitan Service Area. ComEd also received the Climate Action Leader award for advancing the planning and operations to transition into a cleaner future grid.

Rising interest among consumers to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs is driving the growth of community and rooftop solar in ComEd’s northern Illinois region, and its new hosting capacity map for solar developers is helping streamline the process and meet the demand.

ComEd today announced that two of its energy efficiency offerings – Home Energy Savings (HES) and Strategic Energy Management (SEM) – were recognized with Leaders of the Pack awards from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a national nonprofit organization focused on advancing energy-efficiency policies that help customers reduce waste while combatting climate change. The two awards were among only 10 utility-funded, energy efficiency programs to receive ACEEE awards this year.

As part of a larger investment to accelerate the equitable growth of electric vehicles (EVs) in northern Illinois, ComEd is announcing that its business and public sector fleet EV rebate program can now be utilized for the purchase of certified, pre-owned electric fleet vehicles and repowered battery electric vehicles to help reduce the costs of transitioning to electric commercial and public sector fleets.

Following a competitive process, ComEd joined Governor Pritzker, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Mayor of Rockford and Region 1 Planning Council (R1) to announce the DOE has awarded ComEd $50 million in federal funding to enhance the power grid’s ability to deliver affordable, clean energy to Illinois communities. The funds will enable ComEd and its local partners to launch advanced clean energy investments, expand carbon free energy resources and offer new clean energy jobs training for the local community. This is the largest-ever ComEd Smart Grid Grant, distributed by DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program and funded through the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The festive season is fast approaching, bringing with it opportunities for communities to come together and spread cheer. To support local holiday light displays across northern Illinois, ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus today announced grants of up to $2,500 each for 24 northern Illinois communities through the annual ComEd Powering the Holidays Program.

As many homeowners consider a furnace tune up or replacement ahead of the winter season, ComEd is unveiling an all-in-one resource to help customers consider the benefits of switching from traditional furnaces to electric heat pumps. The new Go Electric site provides information to help customers consider the benefits and options of switching to high-efficiency heat pumps, pricing and incentives, how to locate trained contractors, and other key information.

ComEd today announced it is now accepting applications for $175,000 worth of college and trades scholarships made available through its Future of Energy Scholars program. Now through November 3, 2024, students who are pursuing a future career in energy, either through a trades training program or a STEM-related college major, can apply for scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 each.

During the annual Chicago Drives Electric event, ComEd today announced the Point of Purchase initiative, which leverages ComEd’s EV rebate programs and will deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers in the market for electric fleet vehicles. The initiative, designed to provide more certainty around the total costs of a conversion to all-electric fleet vehicles, is powered by a growing collaboration of more than 30 auto dealerships, various EV manufacturers and local EV stakeholders.

Following the state of Illinois’ launch of the new application period for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federal energy-assistance program, ComEd reminds customers that the energy company also offers a wide-range of support options to compliment these grants and help customers of all income levels.

ComEd today joined Elevate and Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation to highlight milestone progress made on electrifying low-income homes in Chicago and across the northern Illinois region served by ComEd. Through ComEd’s Whole Home Electric program, 450 low-income homes and apartment units have been electrified, with homes retrofitted with all-electric appliances and heating and cooling systems, which are expected to help reduce energy usage, lower net energy costs and lower carbon emissions for the customers and the surrounding community.

In a continued effort to broaden access to arts and culture across northern Illinois, ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres today announced the distribution of more than $200,000 in grants to 18 local arts organizations. Through the Powering the Arts Program, ComEd will provide individual grants of up to $25,000 to nonprofits, including local theaters, arts programs, cultural centers and youth-focused organizations dedicated to enriching their communities through artistic expression.

Plug in America, a national electric vehicle advocacy group, today announced that ComEd is the only energy company to earn a 2024 Drive Electric award. ComEd was selected for the exclusive honors based on its efforts to advance the electric vehicle (EV) movement, and for the creation of EV customer programs designed to address gaps and equitably increase the adoption of EVs.

ComEd is again being hailed as a national leader for its work to drive economic growth and job creation across northern Illinois, according to new rankings out today by Site Selection Magazine, which named ComEd as one of the Top 20 utilities in economic development. Based on a review of corporate relocations and expansion from the last year and its research into utilities with active economic development departments, Site Selection finds ComEd is once again in the upper echelon of utilities in attracting new businesses, jobs and investments and for overall support of economic development.

ComEd today joined Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to present a $45,000 electric vehicle (EV) rebate check to the Village of Skokie, helping provide funding to electrify the Village’s municipal fleet. Skokie is one of the first municipalities to receive a rebate through ComEd’s beneficial electrification (BE) plan, supported by the state’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which is designed to accelerate the adoption of all-electric technologies.

ComEd today announced that QUILT, an Illinois nonprofit supporting disadvantaged communities, will license reserve fiber optics on the ComEd system as part of its efforts to provide affordable high-speed broadband service on Chicago’s South and West Sides. Other similar agreements will be enabled by a $14.6 million grant awarded to ComEd last year by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (IIJA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA), which supports a build-out of reserve middle-mile fiber that can be licensed by any InternetService Provider (ISP) to expand access to affordable broadband service in underserved communities. State and local broadband technology leaders participated in today’s announcement at the Woodlawn Resource Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn community.

ComEd crews continue to work around the clock to restore service to customers impacted by a prolonged weather system that included severe thunderstorms and wind speeds up to 70 miles per hour and brought significant destruction to northern Illinois, particularly the northern suburbs of Chicago. Damage from the storm included downed trees and large branches, many of which landed on power lines. These will all be cleared in order to restore customers.

As part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability and the enhancement of natural environments, ComEd and Openlands, a nationally recognized leader in environmental conservation, announced the 23 recipients of their 2024 Green Region Grant Program. This year, grants totaling $200,000—up to $10,000 each—were awarded to support the preservation of nature, combat climate change and create safe habitats for pollinators and wildlife in communities across northern Illinois.

As part of an ongoing effort to support customers considering making the switch to electric vehicles (EVs), ComEd today announced the recent launch of its new Electric Vehicle Service Provider (EVSP) Network. This new, user-friendly resource is designed to help residential and commercial customers find an ICC-certified service provider to install EV charging infrastructure at their home or business. Nearly 50 of these vendors are currently included in the network, and the list continues to grow. These vendors are well-versed on rebate programs offered by ComEd to help customers qualify for rebates when installing EV chargers and streamline the process by applying for rebates on their behalf.

ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus today recognized a diverse group of communities completing a program designed to help prepare them to accommodate the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV infrastructure. Through their completion of the EV Readiness Program, 12 local governments are the latest to receive support that allows them to develop permitting, safety plans and community engagement strategies so that EV use is made accessible to all.

ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Powering Safe Communities grant program. This year, the program awarded over $185,000 in grants across ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory. The grants, worth up to $10,000 each, are awarded to projects that support municipal public safety and clean energy initiatives, with a focus on electrification projects that can reduce carbon emissions, improve public health outcomes and advance community resiliency.