ComEd Receives Premier Industry Awards for Equity-Centered Energy Efficiency and Electrification Programs

January 09, 2024 at 13:13 PM EST

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s annual Inspiring Efficiency Awards recognize groundbreaking efforts to expand energy efficiency to customers and businesses in need

The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) announced ComEd is being honored with dual Inspiring Efficiency Awards. The awards recognize innovative programs that help income-eligible customers and businesses in low-income communities across northern Illinois take advantage of energy-efficiency and electrification offerings that can help them manage energy bills and support the environment.

MEEA named ComEd a recipient of its Innovation Award for the energy company’s cross-function collaborations with new and existing industry organizations to launch a number of electrification offerings for a wide range of customers and businesses, including a new comprehensive home electrification offering for income-eligible customers. MEEA also recognized ComEd with an Impact Award for investing over $13 million in health and safety improvements, without which income-eligible residential customers could not take advantage of energy-efficiency offerings, thereby saving them money and energy. The recognition from MEEA builds on ComEd’s reputation for delivering award-winning energy-efficiency programs that have saved customers a total of more than $8 billion on energy bills since launching in 2008.

“ComEd is proud to be recognized for its part in expanding the benefits of energy-efficient technology across northern Illinois,” said Erica Borggren, ComEd’s vice president of customer solutions. “We are committed to providing equitable access to programs that can reduce energy use in ways that can help the environment, while reducing the energy burden for those who need it most.”

The awards were announced ahead of MEEA’s 20th annual Inspiring Efficiency Awards, which recognize individuals and businesses that exhibit exemplary leadership in advancing energy efficiency across the Midwest. Winners will be presented with awards during MEEA’s Midwest Energy Solutions Conference, Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, in Chicago.

“The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance is proud to recognize ComEd for their ongoing commitment to delivering meaningful energy efficiency solutions to communities with the greatest need,” said MEEA Executive Director Paige Knutsen. “These awards recognize the significant impact made by awardees like ComEd and provide inspiration for others to follow suit.”

Innovation Award: ComEd’s Low-Income Electrification Offering

MEEA’s Inspiring Efficiency Innovation Award was presented to ComEd for developing and enhancing its portfolio of energy-efficiency electrification (EEE) offerings, which includes the launch of a new, comprehensive offering designed to help income-eligible customers save money and reduce energy use, while stimulating regional market adoption of key electrification technologies.

According to Illinois law, electrification measures include high-efficiency, electric alternatives to traditional fossil fuel-powered building and industrial end uses such as space heating, water heating, clothes drying, cooking and industrial processes.

In 2023, this income-eligible offering, called the Whole Home Electric program, completed 99 single-family home electrification projects with projected annual energy savings of 26,000 kilowatt-hours per project, as well as another 163 units across four multi-family buildings with total projected energy savings of about 5.1 gigawatt-hours. In 2023, ComEd also introduced or enhanced incentives for a range of other electrification measures, including construction of high-efficiency, all-electric new buildings, the installation of residential electric heat pumps and the purchase of commercial electric forklifts.

Impact Award: ComEd’s Investment in Income-Eligible Health & Safety Improvements

MEEA’s Inspiring Efficiency Impact Award recognizes ComEd’s four-year commitment, started in 2022, to support upgrades that not only allow income-eligible customers to participate in energy-efficiency programs, but also prevent potential risk of harm to a person or the property. Common examples include mitigation of mold, standing water, and asbestos, as well as building, roof, mechanical and electrical issues.

To date, ComEd has invested over $13 million in Health and Safety measures that enabled 644 projects across 423 single-family homes and 221 multi-family and public housing properties to safely proceed, while unlocking another $13 million in energy-efficiency incentives that help defray the cost of improvements. These investments resulted in more than 41,000 net megawatt-hours of energy savings for income-eligible and public housing customers, which is the equivalent of powering 3,700 ComEd customers’ homes for one year.

About ComEd

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.

About Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

MEEA leverages their expertise to be the Midwest’s leading resource for our members, allies, policymakers and the broader sector to promote energy efficiency as the essential pathway to achieve a clean, affordable, equitable and sustainable future. Visit mwalliance.org for more information.