ComEd Restores Power to More Than 110,000 Customers Following Extreme Weather

Rhea-AI Summary

ComEd, an energy company in northern Illinois, has restored power to 90% of the nearly 124,000 customers impacted by thunderstorms and strong winds. Approximately 14,000 customers remain without power, and ComEd expects the majority to be restored by Sunday afternoon. The company has invested in power grid upgrades and tree trimming to improve reliability and has avoided over 19 million power outages since 2011.

Energy company expects the vast majority of impacted customers to be restored by Sunday afternoon

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- After significant thunderstorms and strong winds moved through northern Illinois Friday evening, ComEd crews have restored power to more than 110,000 customers, approximately 90 percent of the nearly 124,000 customers impacted by the storm. The hardest hit areas were in the southern part of our service territory, including Joliet and University Park, and the far western part of our service territory including Dixon, Freeport, and Rockford.

Approximately 14,000 customers remain without power as of noon, Saturday, July 29, while more than 500 ComEd and contractor crews work 24/7 to restore service to all remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible. ComEd expects that the vast majority of remaining customers will be restored by Sunday afternoon, July 30. Localized areas experiencing major damage requiring significant repairs may take longer to restore.

"ComEd crews are hard at work throughout the region to restore power to customers following last night's severe weather," said Dave Perez, senior vice-president of Distribution Operations at ComEd. "We recognize that any outage is frustrating to our customers, and we thank everyone for their patience as we work to safely repair damaged equipment and restore service to our customers as quickly as possible."

With severe weather showing up early and often, and high summer temperatures placing more stress on the electric grid, ComEd has taken steps to ensure reliable energy for the 9 million people it serves in northern Illinois.

ComEd has been investing in power grid upgrades and tree trimming to minimize the impact of storms. Since smart grid upgrades began in 2011, ComEd has avoided more than 19 million power outages — saving more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs — and has improved overall reliability by more than 80 percent. In 2022, ComEd delivered its best reliability ever and was recognized with the ReliabilityOne Award for having the most resilient power grid in the United States.

ComEd prioritizes repairs that will bring back the greatest number of customers at once, and focuses on critical services, such as hospitals, senior centers, law enforcement and fire departments. Crews then move to restoration of individual outages. ComEd offers the following tips and information for 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.
• Check on elderly and other family members and neighbors to ensure their safety and make alternate arrangements in the event of an outage.
• Most refrigerators will keep food fresh for 48 hours if doors are kept closed.

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 X (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, X, Instagram and YouTube.

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ComEd Media Relations

312-394-3500

Source: ComEd

FAQ

What company is restoring power to customers in northern Illinois?

ComEd

How many customers were impacted by the thunderstorms and strong winds?

Nearly 124,000 customers

How many customers have had their power restored so far?

Over 110,000 customers

How many customers are still without power?

Approximately 14,000 customers

When does ComEd expect the majority of customers to have their power restored?

By Sunday afternoon

What steps has ComEd taken to improve reliability?

ComEd has invested in power grid upgrades and tree trimming.

How many power outages has ComEd avoided since 2011?

More than 19 million power outages