Latest news with #GilC.Quiniones
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ComEd Receives Approval for Beneficial Electrification Plan 2, Continuing to Advance Transportation Electrification in Illinois
Investment of $168 million over three years will support EV purchases and charging infrastructure advancements CHICAGO, May 29, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ComEd today announced that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has approved its second Beneficial Electrification (BE) Plan, investing approximately $168 million over a three-year period beginning in 2026. The continuation of ComEd's BE funding marks a significant step forward in ComEd's commitment to advancing electric vehicle (EV) adoption and reducing emissions in northern Illinois. Building on its current $231 million investment in beneficial electrification, deployed from 2023 through 2025, ComEd will invest an additional $168 million between 2026-2028 through BE Plan 2 to help residential and non-residential customers transition to and take advantage of electric vehicles. Since February of 2024, ComEd has incentivized the purchase and installation of nearly 5,000 public and private EV charging ports (Level 2 and Fast Chargers) and the purchase or lease of nearly 1,000 new and pre-owned electric fleet vehicles. More than 70% of the rebates awarded have gone to low-income customers or business and public sector organizations located in, or primarily serving, low-income and Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs). Over this same period, Illinois has seen EV registrations grow three to four times faster than the nation as a whole. "The shift to EVs is a major milestone on the road to Illinois' clean energy future, and it is part of a broader effort to electrify more of our region's energy system," said Gil C. Quiniones, ComEd President and CEO. "Through the expansion of our Beneficial Electrification programs, ComEd is helping to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and enable all communities to enjoy the benefits and opportunities that flow from the global energy transformation." The approval of ComEd's BE Plan 2 follows the successful implementation of ComEd's first BE Plan, which was approved in 2023 under the guidance of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). Signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021, CEJA aims to combat climate change by leveraging Illinois' clean electricity grid and promoting beneficial electrification across the state. "Illinois is committed to decarbonizing the transportation sector, and ComEd's BE Plan 2 plays a crucial role in enabling more electric vehicle adoption in the state," said Megha Lakhchaura, State EV Officer of Illinois. "By expanding charging infrastructure and providing incentives from the state and key partners like ComEd, we are making EV adoption more accessible and practical for residents and businesses alike." Key components of ComEd's second Beneficial Electrification Plan include: Residential EV Charger and Installation Program: $11 million, over three years, to offer rebates of up to $2,500 per household to support the purchase and installation of residential Level 2 electric vehicle chargers. Business and Public Sector EV Purchase Program: $82 million, over three years, to offer rebates for the purchase or lease of new or pre-owned fleet EVs of all weight classes. Business and Public Sector Make-Ready Program: $44 million, over three years, to offer rebates for covering costs associated with making sites ready for public or private Level 2 of DC Fast Charging equipment. Customer Education and Awareness Program: $11 million, over three years, to fund multiple efforts to empower and support customers to make informed decisions about vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure deployment. This includes free access to ComEd support tools including Fleet Electrification Assessments, EV Toolkits and training programs for municipalities interested in achieving "EV Ready" status, and free Fleet Electrification Assessments, among others. Research and Development Program: $11 million, over three years, to evaluate and demonstrate the impact of new transportation and electrification technologies. Portfolio Program: $9 million, over three years, to fund a variety of initiatives spanning across multiple programs, to support a successful deployment of BE Plan 2 as a whole. Projects located in, or primarily serving, low income or EIECs, will be eligible for higher rebate amounts, and will receive more than 50% of the BE Plan 2 budget. Exact rebate amounts may be adjusted in response to demand over the course of the BE Plan 2 timeline. EVs provide a variety of benefits for customers. Not only do they offer fuel and maintenance cost savings and performance benefits, but communities can experience broad environmental improvements from reduced tailpipe emissions. Additionally, electrifying transportation—especially vehicle fleets—can create tangible benefits for all communities and families across northern Illinois, including health benefits in communities which have traditionally borne the brunt of climate change and air pollution. "Reducing vehicle emissions is one of the most effective ways to improve air quality and public health," said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs at Respiratory Health Association. "Given current uncertainty with other sources of funding that foster zero-emission transportation, ComEd's continued investment in its Beneficial Electrification Plan is now even more critical in helping cut harmful pollutants, leading to cleaner air and healthier communities across northern Illinois." ComEd's BE Plan 2 was developed in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including environmental organizations, community groups and industry experts to ensure equitable access to electrification benefits. The continued efforts in 2026 will build upon the existing resources and tools ComEd has already launched to support customer education and EV adoption including, the ComEd EV Toolkit, EV Ambassador Program, EV Readiness program, EV Load Capacity Map, Fleet Electrification Assessments, EV Service Provider Network, EV Dealership Network and more. For more information on ComEd's second BE Plan and available resources and programs offered by ComEd, please visit ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company serving more than 10.7 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 and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. View source version on Contacts ComEdMedia Relations312-394-3500
Business Wire
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
ComEd Receives Approval for Beneficial Electrification Plan 2, Continuing to Advance Transportation Electrification in Illinois
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ComEd today announced that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has approved its second Beneficial Electrification (BE) Plan, investing approximately $168 million over a three-year period beginning in 2026. The continuation of ComEd's BE funding marks a significant step forward in ComEd's commitment to advancing electric vehicle (EV) adoption and reducing emissions in northern Illinois. Building on its current $231 million investment in beneficial electrification, deployed from 2023 through 2025, ComEd will invest an additional $168 million between 2026-2028 through BE Plan 2 to help residential and non-residential customers transition to and take advantage of electric vehicles. Since February of 2024, ComEd has incentivized the purchase and installation of nearly 5,000 public and private EV charging ports (Level 2 and Fast Chargers) and the purchase or lease of nearly 1,000 new and pre-owned electric fleet vehicles. More than 70% of the rebates awarded have gone to low-income customers or business and public sector organizations located in, or primarily serving, low-income and Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs). Over this same period, Illinois has seen EV registrations grow three to four times faster than the nation as a whole. 'The shift to EVs is a major milestone on the road to Illinois' clean energy future, and it is part of a broader effort to electrify more of our region's energy system,' said Gil C. Quiniones, ComEd President and CEO. 'Through the expansion of our Beneficial Electrification programs, ComEd is helping to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and enable all communities to enjoy the benefits and opportunities that flow from the global energy transformation.' The approval of ComEd's BE Plan 2 follows the successful implementation of ComEd's first BE Plan, which was approved in 2023 under the guidance of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). Signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021, CEJA aims to combat climate change by leveraging Illinois' clean electricity grid and promoting beneficial electrification across the state. 'Illinois is committed to decarbonizing the transportation sector, and ComEd's BE Plan 2 plays a crucial role in enabling more electric vehicle adoption in the state,' said Megha Lakhchaura, State EV Officer of Illinois. 'By expanding charging infrastructure and providing incentives from the state and key partners like ComEd, we are making EV adoption more accessible and practical for residents and businesses alike.' Key components of ComEd's second Beneficial Electrification Plan include: Residential EV Charger and Installation Program: $11 million, over three years, to offer rebates of up to $2,500 per household to support the purchase and installation of residential Level 2 electric vehicle chargers. Business and Public Sector EV Purchase Program: $82 million, over three years, to offer rebates for the purchase or lease of new or pre-owned fleet EVs of all weight classes. Business and Public Sector Make-Ready Program: $44 million, over three years, to offer rebates for covering costs associated with making sites ready for public or private Level 2 of DC Fast Charging equipment. Customer Education and Awareness Program: $11 million, over three years, to fund multiple efforts to empower and support customers to make informed decisions about vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure deployment. This includes free access to ComEd support tools including Fleet Electrification Assessments, EV Toolkits and training programs for municipalities interested in achieving 'EV Ready' status, and free Fleet Electrification Assessments, among others. Research and Development Program: $11 million, over three years, to evaluate and demonstrate the impact of new transportation and electrification technologies. Portfolio Program: $9 million, over three years, to fund a variety of initiatives spanning across multiple programs, to support a successful deployment of BE Plan 2 as a whole. Projects located in, or primarily serving, low income or EIECs, will be eligible for higher rebate amounts, and will receive more than 50% of the BE Plan 2 budget. Exact rebate amounts may be adjusted in response to demand over the course of the BE Plan 2 timeline. EVs provide a variety of benefits for customers. Not only do they offer fuel and maintenance cost savings and performance benefits, but communities can experience broad environmental improvements from reduced tailpipe emissions. Additionally, electrifying transportation—especially vehicle fleets—can create tangible benefits for all communities and families across northern Illinois, including health benefits in communities which have traditionally borne the brunt of climate change and air pollution. 'Reducing vehicle emissions is one of the most effective ways to improve air quality and public health,' said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs at Respiratory Health Association. 'Given current uncertainty with other sources of funding that foster zero-emission transportation, ComEd's continued investment in its Beneficial Electrification Plan is now even more critical in helping cut harmful pollutants, leading to cleaner air and healthier communities across northern Illinois.' ComEd's BE Plan 2 was developed in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including environmental organizations, community groups and industry experts to ensure equitable access to electrification benefits. The continued efforts in 2026 will build upon the existing resources and tools ComEd has already launched to support customer education and EV adoption including, the ComEd EV Toolkit, EV Ambassador Program, EV Readiness program, EV Load Capacity Map, Fleet Electrification Assessments, EV Service Provider Network, EV Dealership Network and more. For more information on ComEd's second BE Plan and available resources and programs offered by ComEd, please visit
Associated Press
31-01-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
ComEd Highlights 2024 Efforts to Advance the Clean Energy Transition in Northern Illinois
ComEd is announcing how a series of investments and initiatives in 2024 led to record progress made in terms of enhancing reliability, clean energy access, community investment and jobs, and overall value for over 9 million people served in northern Illinois last year. Even amid record-breaking storms impacting the grid and the region, ComEd continued to deliver best-in-class reliability, connected thousands of customers to new renewable and cleaner energy resources, like solar and EVs, and continued to expand energy efficiency programs that help customers reduce usage and combat climate change. Additionally, ComEd last year continued its commitment to the communities it serves by growing job training and educational programs to reach thousands of area residents, deploying a record level of financial assistance to those in need, and by securing approval on future investments that will allow the company to continue preparing the region for increased electrification and to support a clean and equitable energy transition for years to come. 'In 2024, ComEd worked hard to modernize northern Illinois' power grid, strengthening its resilience to extreme weather conditions and preparing it to power a cleaner, more electrified economy,' said Gil C. Quiniones, President & CEO of ComEd. 'Thanks to the support of our more than 6,600 dedicated professionals and countless partners, ComEd is positioned to support economic development across the region and to ensure that every community enjoys the benefits of the clean energy transition.' Learn more about how ComEd made advancements on behalf of its customers and communities in 2024: Providing best-in-class reliability and resiliency ComEd earned the 2024 ReliabilityOne® award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Midwest Metropolitan Service Area, and a Climate Action Leader award from PA Consulting, a global innovation and transformation consultancy. ComEd delivered continued reliability in 2024 with nearly 2.3 million customers not experiencing a single outage or interruption – more than half of the customers ComEd serves. Among comparable large utilities in the United States, ComEd delivered the most reliable service. Smart grid investments helped avoid more than 400,000 outages during a record-breaking summer storm that brought more than 40 tornadoes to the region, prompting crews to work around the clock for one of the fastest large-scale storm restorations in company history. Since ComEd started smart grid improvements in 2012, it has improved overall reliability by more than 57 percent, helping customers avoid nearly 24.7 million customer interruptions and save more than $4.3 billion in outage-related costs. Empowering customers for a cleaner and affordable future ComEd's award-winning Energy Efficiency Program, one of the largest in the nation, reached a new milestone when it surpassed the $10 billion mark in total customer bill savings. The program helps reduce energy consumption and costs and has saved over 89 million megawatt-hours of electricity since its launch in 2008, enough to power more than 10 million ComEd customers' homes for one year and avoid nearly 66 billion pounds of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. The electric service total bill rate per kWh of an average ComEd residential customer was 22% below the average residential rate of the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the EEI Annual Report. In 2024, ComEd customers had access to 96 percent clean power on an hourly basis – thanks to a large amount of nuclear generation in the region making our grid one of the cleanest in the nation – and with plans to reach 100 percent thanks to CEJA. ComEd launched a variety of new clean energy programs to help customers lower costs as they go green – including launching nearly $90 million in customer rebates for the purchase of fleet EVs and the buildout of EV charging infrastructure; and creating a new Go Electric website to empower customers seeking to transition to more efficient heating and cooling systems with information on heat pumps and company rebates offered. Supporting customers and communities in need ComEd achieved an overall J.D. Power ranking of 2 (out of 15) in the Midwest for the second consecutive year, an improvement from 8 in 2022. To reduce the burden for those facing economic hardship, ComEd last year connected more than 229,000 customers to over $133 million in financial assistance and other support options, which is the most support ComEd has provided since the pandemic. In 2024, ComEd held nearly a half dozen Powering Lives Resource Fairs, providing 1,600 families in underserved neighborhoods with education and tailored support services including bill-assistance options, workforce development opportunities, family care programs, and health screenings. More than three-quarters of those families were successfully connected to financial assistance and other support options. ComEd provided over $630,000 in grant funding to 90 organizations and municipalities through its Green Region, Powering Safe Communities, Powering the Arts, and Powering the Holidays competitive grant programs. ComEd employees logged over 26,000 volunteer hours and contributed over $1.8 million to more than 1,200 community-based causes. ComEd was named a 2024 Customer Champion by Cogent, a division of Escalent, a key market research firm. Expanding renewables, EV adoption and preparing for a lower-carbon future 2024 saw a record year for growth in solar and distributed generation – from the number of rebates awarded to the volume of new renewable energy sources added to the system. This includes: 356 MW of distributed energy resources (DER), like solar and battery storage systems, were interconnected to the ComEd grid last year alone, the most in any single year to date, and enough energy to power approximately more than 11,800 ComEd homes for one year. 173 rd community solar site livened, enabling more than 32,000 residential customers in northern Illinois to realize the benefits of solar energy and earn credits that reduce their electric bill without having to install solar panels on their homes. A record $71.6 million in Distributed Generation (DG) Rebates were provided to help offset the out-of-pocket costs related to adding new solar energy in residential, commercial and community solar settings. This is a nearly 800% percent increase from 2019, when only $8 million in rebates were provided. Boosted home electrification projects – with more than 4,000 heat pump installations funded through ComEd rebates last year; and more than 600 homes electrified through Whole Home Electric program, designed to help low-income customers lower their net energy usage, costs, and carbon footprint with all-electric upgrades to heating and cooling systems and appliances. ComEd's EV investments helped incentivize the addition of more than 3,500 L2 and DCFC EV charging ports and more than 170 EV fleet vehicles. Over half of the EV funds were distributed to low-income customers and those located or primarily serving equity-eligible investment communities. Additional EV funding programs are available in 2025 at To prepare communities for the growing demand for EVs, ComEd partnered with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) to train more local governments as part of the EV Readiness Program, which has to date helped 41 communities in developing local code and infrastructure plans needed to roll out EVs and charging safely and equitably. Expanded the integration of EVs, plug-in hybrid EVs, and other electrified equipment to make up nearly one-quarter of ComEd's fleet and closed the year with over 600 EV charging ports across ComEd facilities, a key step as ComEd electrifies its own fleet. Expanding careers and fueling economic growth for the region ComEd expanded clean energy and construction job training – including the launching of the new ComEd Market Development Initiative, helping more than 80 job seekers and local entrepreneurs become certified to work in the burgeoning energy-efficiency industry; and by creating new construction and technical job training programs, like Power Up Academy, to help collectively reach nearly 1,000 local residents with career training last year alone. Continued to expand hiring to fill critical trades roles, with 135 new craft hires onboarded last year, bringing hiring of new entry-level trades jobs to more than 1,000 since a 2018 agreement was signed with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 15. To spark economic development, in 2024, ComEd brought 15 commercial projects to northern Illinois, with planned projects set to add nearly 1,400 jobs and more than $17 billion in local investment. Companies continue to invest in the region thanks to the unparalleled access to clean, affordable and highly reliable power, with ComEd being recognized by Site Selection Magazine as a National Leader on driving jobs and investment to Illinois. The company's track record of successful project execution, in combination with growing interest in the clean energy attributes uniquely found in our region, has led to an unprecedented volume of high-density load requests last year. This includes more than 40 large-load projects currently in the engineering or construction phase and expected to come online in the years ahead, and with continued interest from developers and high growth industries looking to power new or expanded business development projects in the region. Building the next generation of STEM talent To improve representation in STEM careers, ComEd provided educational opportunities to more than 1,400 in 2024. These programs included: ComEd's Black History Month STEM Labs, where 75 high school students worked with ComEd mentors to build personal Bluetooth speakers and learn more about STEM careers. Each student also received a $250 scholarship. ComEd's Hispanic Heritage Month STEM Labs, where 50 high school students worked with ComEd mentors to build small robots and learn more about STEM careers. Each student also received a $250 scholarship. ComEd's ASME DropMEin! Program, where 142 middle school students met ComEd employees to foster the engineering mindset and learn about power generation, energy sustainability, emerging technologies and utility career paths. ComEd's Learning from Leaders, where 577 middle and high school students connected with ComEd STEM professionals to learn about career and education paths, what ComEd does, and the importance of STEM. ComEd's Power of STEM, where 487 middle and high school students worked with ComEd mentors to learn about microgrids, solar energy and climate change. ComEd's Create a Spark program, where 75 high school students learned how to complete transmission and distribution projects and about climate impact. The ComEd Scholars program provided $340,000 in scholarships to 9 students pursuing STEM degrees at either Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), DePaul University, or Chicago State University (CSU). ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company serving more than 10.5 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 and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. Media Relations 312-394-3500 SOURCE: ComEd Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 01/31/2025 03:01 PM/DISC: 01/31/2025 03:01 PM
