ComEd Restores Power for More than 206,000 Customers Impacted by Extreme Storms

Rhea-AI Summary

ComEd, a unit of Exelon (NASDAQ: EXC), is working to restore power to customers affected by severe storms in northern Illinois. As of 8am, 206,000 customers have been restored out of over 430,000 initially impacted. The company expects full restoration by Friday evening. ComEd has opened four additional joint operations commands and is deploying over 3,000 field crews, including 1,400 from outside the company. The storms, which included at least 10 confirmed tornadoes and winds exceeding 70 MPH, caused significant damage to infrastructure. ComEd emphasizes its ongoing efforts to strengthen the power grid against increasing severe weather due to climate change, noting a 70% improvement in systemwide reliability and savings of $3.3 billion in outage-related costs.

Positive

• 206,000 customers restored out of 430,000 affected
• Deployment of over 3,000 field crews for restoration efforts
• 70% improvement in systemwide reliability due to grid upgrades
• $3.3 billion saved in outage-related costs

Negative

• Over 224,000 customers still without power
• Full restoration not expected until Friday evening
• Significant infrastructure damage from storms
• Increased frequency and intensity of severe weather impacting operations

Response is ongoing to restore all customers following several tornadoes and severe winds on Monday evening

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Following a series of severe and incredibly destructive storms on Monday evening, which spawned at least 10 confirmed tornadoes and generated winds in excess of 70 MPH, ComEd crews continue to work around the clock to restore power to impacted customers. Approximately 206,000 customers have been restored as of 8am this morning, with more than 430,000 customers originally impacted following Monday evening’s storm system. ComEd is increasing resources and doubling staffing to support a full restoration for customers, which is expected by Friday evening.

To respond to the areas hit hardest by last night’s storms, ComEd has opened four additional joint operations commands to respond to some of the most heavily impacted areas in the region: Freeport, Streator, Joliet and University Park.

“Safely restoring power to all customers impacted by Monday evening’s storms remains our number one priority, and our dedicated crews are working around the clock to bring all affected customers back,” said Dave Perez, executive vice-president and COO, at ComEd. “To respond to the magnitude of the storms faced – with several confirmed tornadoes and high winds – ComEd is increasing resources and deploying additional field personnel to expedite restoration efforts. We recognize the frustration any number of outages can cause, and thank our customers for their continued patience as our team works to restore them as quickly as possible.”

More than 3,000 field crews will be deployed today – including 1,400 personnel coming to assist from outside ComEd. As crews work throughout the day, they will prioritize critical facilities such as hospitals, senior centers, law enforcement and fire departments, and then move to restore outages affecting the greatest number of customers. Given the extent of damage stemming from the storms – including lane closures on major interstates and other major infrastructure impacts – ComEd remains in close coordination with community leaders and local agencies to make repairs.

In response to severe weather forecasts, ComEd first opened its Emergency Operations Center Sunday evening. Monday’s severe weather was the third weather system to hit northern Illinois in three days, with ComEd crews restoring over 95,000 customer outages following Sunday night’s storms.

Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of severe weather facing the area and many areas across the country. To strengthen its infrastructure, ComEd has been investing in power grid upgrades in recent years, with these improvements helping to bolster systemwide reliability by 70 percent, and helping customers avoid more than 21.7 million outages, and saving more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs.

The following tips and information encourage customers to stay safe following severe weather:

• If you encounter a downed power line, immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661).
• Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237).
• Never approach a downed power line. Always assume a power line is energized and extremely dangerous.

Customers can sign up for Outage Alerts at ComEd.com/Alerts or text OUT to 26633 to report their outage and receive restoration information about when their power may be restored.

ComEd also offers a mobile app for iPhone® and Android® smart phones that gives customers the ability to report power outages and manage their accounts. In addition, customers can report outages through ComEd’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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ComEd Media Relations

312-394-3500

Source: ComEd

FAQ

How many customers did ComEd (EXC) restore power to after the recent storms?

ComEd restored power to approximately 206,000 customers out of more than 430,000 initially impacted by the severe storms on Monday evening.

When does ComEd (EXC) expect to complete full power restoration following the recent storms?

ComEd expects to complete full power restoration for all affected customers by Friday evening.

How many field crews is ComEd (EXC) deploying for storm restoration efforts?

ComEd is deploying more than 3,000 field crews, including 1,400 personnel from outside the company, to expedite restoration efforts.

What improvements has ComEd (EXC) made to its power grid reliability?

ComEd has improved its systemwide reliability by 70% through recent power grid upgrades, helping customers avoid over 21.7 million outages and saving more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs.