ComEd Restores Power to More Than 95 Percent of Customers Impacted by One of Area’s Worst Storm Systems in Years

Rhea-AI Summary

ComEd has restored power to over 95% of customers affected by recent severe storms in northern Illinois. The company has reconnected more than 410,000 out of 430,000 impacted customers. ComEd estimates that without recent system improvements, outages could have been twice as extensive. The storms, which may surpass the August 2020 derecho in severity, generated at least 10 tornadoes and winds exceeding 100 mph.

ComEd expects 99% of customers to have power restored by end of day, with 99.9% restored by Friday. The company prioritized repairs for critical services and major infrastructure. ComEd's recent grid upgrades have enhanced system reliability by 70%, helping avoid over 21.7 million outages and saving $3.3 billion in outage-related costs.

Positive

• Restored power to over 95% of affected customers (410,000 out of 430,000)
• System improvements prevented potentially twice as many outages
• 99% of customers expected to have power restored by end of day
• Grid upgrades enhanced system reliability by 70%
• Improvements helped avoid 21.7 million outages and saved $3.3 billion in costs

Negative

• 16,000 customers still without power as of 10 a.m.
• Some areas with severe damage may take longer to restore
• Increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events

Power restored to more than 410,000 customers impacted by storms that generated 10 tornadoes and 100-plus mph winds

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ComEd crews have successfully restored power to more than 410,000 customers out of the more than 430,000 customers affected by Monday evening’s storms, the last of a series of storms that could top the derecho of August 2020 in terms of severity. The company estimates that, without the system improvements made over the past several years, Monday’s extreme weather could have resulted in twice as many customer outages.

As of 10 a.m. today, less than 16,000 customers remain without power. ComEd crews, with support from utility partners called into the region to assist with the response, continue to work around the clock to restore all remaining customers. The company anticipates 99 percent of customers will have power restored by end of day today, although area pockets with severe or isolated destruction requiring extensive repairs may take longer to restore; it is estimated that 99.9 percent of customers will be restored by end of day Friday.

“All of us at ComEd understand the inconvenience and frustration brought on by extended power outages, which is why ComEd crews continue working around the clock to bring all customers back to service safely, and as quickly as possible,” said Dave Perez, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ComEd. “We thank everyone for their continued patience as we work diligently to make a full restoration following what could turn out to be one of the area’s most powerful and unprecedented storm systems.”

Monday evening’s extreme weather generated at least 10 simultaneous tornadoes, a number that may increase further as the National Weather Service continues to investigate areas of damage.

Throughout the restoration process, ComEd remains in close coordination with community leaders and local agencies to identify and expedite repairs. ComEd crews prioritized repairs that restored power to critical services, such as hospitals, senior centers, law enforcement, and fire departments. Next comes repairs that would restore the largest number of customers to power and areas of significant damage, including lane closures on major interstates and other infrastructure impacts in addition to thousands of individual outages affecting customers across northern Illinois.

The frequency and intensity of the extreme weather, influenced by climate change, have been increasing in the area and across the country. In response, ComEd has invested in power grid upgrades over the past few years. These improvements have enhanced systemwide reliability by 70 percent, helped customers avoid over 21.7 million outages, and saved more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs.

ComEd offers the following tips and information to help customers to stay safe following severe weather:

• If you encounter a downed power line, immediately call ComEd at 800-EDISON-1 (800-334-7661). Spanish-speaking customers should call 800-95-LUCES (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® smartphones 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.

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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 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, X and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240718028992/en/

ComEd Media Relations

312-394-3500

Source: ComEd

FAQ

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

ComEd restored power to more than 410,000 out of 430,000 affected customers, which is over 95% of those impacted by the recent severe storms.

When does ComEd expect to fully restore power to all customers?

ComEd anticipates 99% of customers will have power restored by end of day, with 99.9% restored by end of day Friday, except for areas with severe or isolated destruction requiring extensive repairs.

How many tornadoes were generated during the recent storms affecting ComEd's service area?

The recent storms generated at least 10 simultaneous tornadoes, with the possibility of this number increasing as the National Weather Service continues to investigate areas of damage.

What improvements has ComEd (EXC) made to its power grid in recent years?

ComEd has invested in power grid upgrades that have enhanced systemwide reliability by 70%, helped customers avoid over 21.7 million outages, and saved more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs.

How can ComEd customers report power outages and receive restoration information?

Customers can sign up for Outage Alerts at ComEd.com/Alerts, text OUT to 26633, use ComEd's mobile app for iPhone and Android smartphones, or report outages through ComEd's Facebook and Twitter pages.