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Editorial: ComEd bill needs more consumer protections
August 31, 2011, Elmhurst—Commonwealth Edison officials probably won’t be receiving too many Christmas cards from those of us in the western suburbs this year.
Elmhurst Press Editorial A mid-July storm left more than 850,000 ComEd customers in the Chicago area without power. Some people in the western suburbs lingered for days without electricity.
Read the full story on the Elmhurst Press website.
Elmhurst residents experienced complications. Municipal officials said a major problem stemmed from power lines downed by damaged trees. We have been subjected to several severe storms this summer, and there’s nothing that ComEd can do to prevent these. Tree branches whipped around by strong wind gusts are bound to cause headaches. But residents also have expressed concerns about how some areas periodically lose power while others don’t. Their homes will be without power at times while their neighbors across the street remain unaffected. Many people believe the source of this perplexing condition is an outdated electrical grid. There’s no doubt ComEd needs to upgrade its infrastructure, but the utility is at odds with consumer advocates on how to accomplish this. ComEd has promoted a bill being debated in the Illinois House of Representatives called the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act. Also known as House Bill 14, the legislation would allow ComEd to bring its Smart Grid plan to fruition. It provides for regular rate hikes for ComEd, pending approval by the Illinois Commerce Commission. This revenue would be used to upgrade the utility’s electrical system. However, critics say the bill would short-circuit regulatory processes and fails to do enough to encourage renewable energy. Gov. Pat Quinn has vowed to veto the bill. ComEd must modernize its infrastructure, but there are too many red flags with this bill. Legislators need to address these concerns and safeguard consumers. Tweet |