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ComEd Commends ICC Order Approving Smart Meter AccelerationCHICAGO, June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- ComEd announced that the Illinois Commerce Commission yesterday issued an order approving the accelerated deployment of smart meters to all ComEd customers. The order follows the Illinois General Assembly's action last month to enact Senate Bill 9, getting the state's Smart Grid program back on track. Following this ICC order, ComEd can begin installing smart meters to customers in September 2013. The installations will continue through 2021. Smart meters provide timely data to electricity users about how much power they're using, giving customers more control over their energy use. Multiple businesses plan to open new facilities in Illinois to support the Smart Grid and the manufacture and installation of the meters, creating both manufacturing and professional jobs in our state. Already, the program has created more than 2,700 full-time equivalent jobs. "We are grateful to the Illinois Commerce Commission for acting so quickly to accelerate our smart meter deployment, which will help our customers save energy and money as well as get the Smart Grid program back on track," said Anne Pramaggiore, president and CEO, ComEd. "We are ramping up quickly to be ready to start smart meter deployment in September, including buying the new meters, training our employees, and increasing customer education and outreach. This effort will bring additional jobs to Illinois and boost our state's economy." ComEd is investing in a modern grid that will reduce power outages and give customers more choice and control over their energy use. ComEd's modernization efforts are designed to reduce outages by 700,000 per year, saving customers an estimated $100 million in outage-related costs. Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 6.6 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. SOURCE ComEd http://rt.prnewswire.com/rt.gif?NewsItemId=CG27674&Transmission_Id=201306061056PR_NEWS_USPR_____CG27674&DateId=20130606 |
