ComEd proposes new power grid investments to accommodate Illinois clean energy law

To better provide for its approximately 4 million customers and to get in line with Illinois’ new clean energy law, ComEd this week proposed an initial capital investment to support a multi-year, integrated grid investment plan. 

The proposal, as submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), provided three categories of data for consideration during public workshops:

1. A review of ComEd’s planned capital investments and supporting data
2. ComEd’s plans for investment in its distribution system and to meet projected needs for the grid
3. System and locational data surrounding reliability, resiliency, Distributed Energy Resources (DER), and service quality under ComEd

“As a result of the investments we’ve made in the grid, ComEd leads the nation in delivering clean energy to customers, reliably and affordably,” Michelle Blaise, senior vice president of technical services for ComEd, said. “Under the recently enacted clean energy law, state leaders affirmed more work is needed on the grid to maintain that performance and further our shared commitment to clean energy solutions. Our preliminary investments proposal ensures that ComEd can maintain performance, address new challenges brought by climate change, and meet our commitment to providing clean, reliable, and resilient energy and economic opportunity for all the northern Illinois communities we’re privileged to serve.”

The proposal is the forerunner for the company’s new planning process to come and its official submission of a multi-year integrated grid plan in 2023. As such, it will continue to be tweaked until that time, though it already incorporates perceived grid and customer needs, new technology developments, and current technology trends and best practices. Its goal is to guarantee ComEd can maintain grid performance and grow its capabilities as Illinois moves to a 100 percent clean energy environment by 2050.