Press release
ComEd Restores Power to 55,000 Customers Following Damaging Ice Storms
Crews working around the clock to safely restore service as quickly as possible Combination of ice and high winds mean restoration effort likely will last
About this update from Exelon Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\nCrews working around the clock to safely restore service as quickly as possible\n\nCombination of ice and high winds mean restoration effort likely will last days\n\nB-roll footage of crews restoring outages today: https://vimeo.com/801412568/35e12af7cd\n\n CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nAfter significant ice storms moved through northern Illinois Wednesday afternoon, ComEd crews have restored power to more than 55,000 customers. The hardest hit areas are the north and northwest areas of Illinois. About 100,000 customers remain without power as of 8 pm while ComEd and contractor crews work 24/7 in challenging conditions to restore service to all remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible.\n\nFollowing the ice storms today, high winds with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are expected tomorrow, which can tear down frozen trees and branches, damaging ComEd equipment and leading to additional power outages. The combination of widespread ice and high winds mean it likely will take multiple days to restore all customers affected by the storms. ComEd is calling in additional crews from other states to help restore power to customers more quickly.\n\n“The layer of ice covering trees, roads and our equipment creates hazards for our crews and can contribute to additional power outages well after the storm has passed,” said Terence R. Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd. “We know losing electric service is frustrating, and we thank everyone for their patience as we work safely to repair damaged equipment and get the power flowing again for all of our customers.”\n\nComEd has been investing in power grid upgrades and tree trimming to minimize the impact of storms. Since smart grid upgrades began in 2011, ComEd has avoided more than 19 million power outages – saving more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs – and improved overall reliability by more than 80 percent. In 2022, ComEd delivered its best reliability ever and was recognized with the ReliabilityOne Award for having the most resilient power grid in the U.S.\n\nComEd prioritizes repairs that will bring back the greatest number of customers at once, and focuses on critical services, such as hospitals, senior centers, law enforcement and fire departments. Crews then move to restoration of individual outages. The following tips and information encourage customers to sta...