ComEd Affirms Reliability and Customer Commitment at Summer Readiness Briefings

CHICAGO, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd officials today informed the Chicago City Council Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities that electric service reliability performance across the company is strong entering into the high-demand summer months.

"We take our responsibility to ComEd customers seriously and are here to reaffirm our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for residents through the delivery of reliable and affordable electricity," Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd president and chief operating officer, said at the committee's annual summer readiness hearing.

Pramaggiore provided an overview of ComEd's system-wide reliability improvements including installation of distribution automation devices that will automatically re-route power around problems and eliminate outages. In addition, work was completed to install new equipment at substations and distribution lines to meet projected customer power requirements.

In particular, Pramaggiore highlighted the Midway Airport Systems Improvement Project. This nearly $10 million project focused on addressing aging underground cable, installing additional electrical switching points and reducing the number and duration of outages. ComEd also has developed an action plan to upgrade the primary service lines to O'Hare Airport's main terminals as well as new technology and upgrades to the substations serving O'Hare.

Pramaggiore also said that there is good news for customers due to the decline in the wholesale price of electricity, resulting in an expected drop of $1.30 per month in the average residential monthly bill. However, she noted that some customers still are struggling in a difficult economic environment.

"We are committed to helping our customers during this difficult economic environment through our suite of assistance programs, energy efficiency programs and community partnerships," Pramaggiore added.

ComEd's energy efficiency program is among the best in the country, and is expected to help customers save more than $190 million on electricity bills over a three-year period and a corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 1.7 billion pounds.

ComEd also plans to distribute more than $3 million in customer assistance funds this year. This includes the Helping Hand initiative that provides assistance to low-income customers who are facing disconnection and struggling to regain their footing. Since 2009, ComEd has worked with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to implement the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) which takes effect Sept. this year.

"We were a primary supporter of this assistance legislation," said Pramaggiore. "The PIPP will help low-income customers by limiting how much they can be charged and create manageable monthly payment plans. This is the gold standard for customer assistance programs."

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

SOURCE ComEd