ComEd’s investments are worth the cost to keep providing our customers with quality service

A recent editorial (“Put ComEd, Peoples Gas rate increase requests under the microscope,” ) rightly calls for thorough regulatory oversight of ComEd’s multi-year grid and rate plans but fails, in our view, to fully explain why these plans are critical to ensuring a reliable, equitable transition to a clean energy future for the 9 million people we serve in northern Illinois.

ComEd customers today enjoy record-breaking, nation-leading reliability because of prudent and necessary grid investments. But it wasn’t that long ago that most ComEd customers considered frequent power outages something to be expected.

Since we began making smart grid improvements in 2012, ComEd and our more than 6,200 employees have helped customers avoid more than 19 million outages, saving more than $3 billion in outage-related costs.

But continuing to deliver this reliability takes work. As extreme weather events become more common due to climate change, as people increasingly swap gas-powered cars for electric vehicles and as renewable and carbon-free energy sources like solar panels are rapidly and significantly adopted, continued investment in grid improvements is critical to maintaining the high level of service our customers depend on.

A more robust, capable, and intelligent power grid is essential to helping our region stay competitive in attracting new businesses — and the jobs that come with them — to northern Illinois, while at the same time allowing us to better meet clean energy and decarbonization goals.

The editorial also fails to mention the outstanding value ComEd customers enjoy today. Currently, ComEd’s average total monthly residential customer bill of $93 is among the lowest in the nation, and approximately 20 % lower than the average in the 10 largest metropolitan areas. At ComEd’s requested rate for 2027, the average residential bill would be less than even the average 2021 residential utility bill in more than half of U.S. states. In addition, ComEd’s historical grid investments have enabled ComEd to deliver a variety of programs that have delivered more than $8 billion in savings to customers by enabling them to use less electricity more efficiently.

ComEd has delivered nation-leading value to customers with exceptional service and competitive rates and we will continue to do so under the multi-year plans we’ve put forward.

Gil Quiniones, CEO, ComEd

When a 6-year-old shoots...

So let me understand this correctly. On the day that a teacher was shot by a 6-year-old student, the school administration was warned three times by staff that the child was exhibiting dangerous behaviors and may have a gun and they did nothing. Nothing.

In law enforcement circles, this is known as “leakage” and precedes many violent encounters. Well, I certainly don’t see how you can blame the gun in this circumstance. But I do know some school staffers who need to be fired and sued. It’s a shame they can’t be criminally charged.

Robert Stasch, O’Hare