ComEd Receives National Recognition for Impact on Economic Development

Ranked in the top one percent of utilities across the United States, ComEd made infrastructure improvements that helped attract $2.7 billion in investment and create 6,400 new jobs

In recognition of ComEd's contribution to economic growth and job creation across the northern Illinois communities it serves, Site Selection magazine named the energy company to its annual list of Top 20 utilities in economic development. Selected from more than 3,300 electric companies across the country, ComEd is among the top one percent of all utilities in attracting new businesses, jobs and investments.

In 2020, infrastructure projects designed to improve and modernize the power grid created an additional $2.7 billion in spending and 6,400 jobs. Further, ComEd’s grid investments are creating the infrastructure required to support new, job-generating industries like data centers.

“ComEd is committed to transforming more than just the power grid,” said Diana Sharpe, vice president of economic and workforce development at ComEd. “Our infrastructure improvements have been recognized for spurring much-needed investment and life-transforming jobs in the in the communities we serve.”

In recognizing the energy company, the magazine cites actions taken by ComEd that are key factors in creating jobs and attracting new businesses to Illinois, including:

• Industry-leading reliability. Since 2012, ComEd has made investments in the grid that have helped it withstand more frequent severe weather associated with climate change and avoid more than 16 million customer interruptions by automatically rerouting power around problem areas.
• Fleet electrification. ComEd plans to electrify 30 percent of its vehicle fleet by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030.
• Workforce training. ComEd job training programs resulted in approximately 1,690 trainees completing the Craft Apprenticeship Program, Solar Pipeline and Multicultural programs with 25 percent securing jobs.
• Renewable energy solutions. Through the Future Energy Jobs Act enacted in 2016, ComEd commercial and industrial customers can apply for distributed generation (DG) rebates designed to reduce up-front installation costs for renewable energy and spur renewable development. ComEd has received 180 DG rebate applications this year and paid rebates of $33.6 million. In August, the company also placed its fiftieth community solar project in service. Each project serves homeowner, renter and business subscribers who receive bill credits for their portion of the energy produced by the community solar farm.

“Illinois’ low and stable power prices, industry-leading reliability performance and clean energy solutions are critical components we leverage to drive economic growth, business development and job creation in the region,” said Paulina San Millan, vice president of business development at Illinois economic development organization Intersect Illinois. “We value the proactive, positive and prompt collaboration that ComEd’s high performing economic development team provides, and this recognition reinforces why they are such an important developmental asset and partner for Illinois.”

“We applaud Site Selection magazine’s recognition of ComEd as a top utility in economic development,” said Mark Goode, founding principal at developer Venture One Real Estate. “Venture One Real Estate values our relationship with the ComEd team and our collaborative efforts to drive investment, create jobs and grow the Illinois economy.”

This is the eighth time ComEd has been recognized as a top utility in economic development by Site Selection magazine. To read the full article, visit siteselection.com/issues/2021/sep/unstoppable-this-year-s-top-utilities.cfm.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 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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