With dramatic policy changes at the federal level and rising energy costs, some have wondered whether building a clean energy future is still possible. For ComEd, the electric utility for Chicago and northern Illinois, clean energy is and will remain a top priority to meet growing demand, while also addressing energy costs for families and small businesses. We think that a clean energy future is not only possible, but more important than ever.
At ComEd, we have actively supported Illinois’ climate goals, including working to electrify transportation, modernize infrastructure, interconnect over 1 gigawatt of distributed energy resource capacity, foster innovation across the energy sector and continue to deliver best-in-class reliability. We’re especially proud of advocating for and supporting the clean energy goals of Illinois, as set forth in the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act.
We are investing extensively in modernizing the grid, enabling more renewables to come online. Together with our Exelon sister energy companies, we connected more than 32,000 customers to clean distributed energy resources last year alone through our Green Power Connection programs.
Our commitment to cut our operations-driven greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero operations by 2050 — what we call our "Path to Clean" — guides all the work we do, at every level of our enterprise. I’m proud to say we are moving steadily toward reaching those bold goals. For example, 30% of our vehicle fleet is set to be electrified by the end of 2025. In addition, we are adopting new technologies and supporting our customers in doing the same.
As we transition to a clean energy future, we must also recognize and address the reality that our customers, especially families and small businesses, are struggling with rising energy costs. Last year, PJM Interconnection, a federally regulated organization that is responsible for electricity supply markets and transmission grid operation in 13 states, including Illinois, held its annual auction with electricity generators. These generators offered their capacity to meet electricity demand for a year beginning this July. The auction, which sets prices ComEd and other retail electric suppliers must pay, rose sharply. This will cause energy bills across the Midwest to increase this summer.
While ComEd can’t control this price increase and does not profit from it — we simply pass through those costs with no markup — we want to support our customers in any way that we can. Where customers have already felt the pinch of higher bills, our team has worked hard to help soften the blow.
We spent time in our communities hosting resource fairs and hundreds of customer events that featured sessions designed to help people understand their bills, work through concerns on the spot and apply for billing and energy assistance if necessary. We believe affordability and the clean energy transition must go hand in hand. ComEd is advancing both by modernizing our grid and advocating for market reforms, and offering more tools for customers to manage energy use and reduce costs. We’re also preparing residents of the communities we serve for careers in the industry, making sure the clean energy economy benefits all communities.
Over the last several years, northern Illinois has emerged as one of the nation’s top five destinations for data center investment, which has brought economic benefits for communities. At ComEd, we have noticed a shift in our conversations with data center developers and other large energy users, with speed, electric supply capacity, reliability and affordability positioned ahead of clean energy.
But that does not mean the long-term need for clean energy has shifted. In fact, availability of clean energy is one of the top three reasons companies are choosing to locate in northern Illinois.
There is still much work to do and new challenges to solve in collaboration with our partners at the state and local levels to address both the energy needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow. We are confident that by aligning our efforts with the state’s ambitious vision, we will not only meet today’s challenges, but we will also help shape a cleaner, more resilient energy future for northern Illinois for generations to come.
Gil Quiniones is president and CEO of ComEd.
