Our society is transitioning toward greater electricity use and away from the use of fossil fuels. We already see this in the transportation sector with the explosive growth rate of electric vehicles (EVs). The number of EV registrations in Illinois increased by more than 40% in 2021, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Energy data.

But transportation is only the beginning. Heating and cooling of buildings will become more electrified. Manufacturing and other industry will become more electrified. The trend lines are everywhere, and they are all pointing in the direction that we need more electricity, not less.

Why is electrification expanding?

Mostly because of the shift to zero carbon. The climate crisis compels us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels that create carbon emissions and air pollution—threats to our economies, our health and our well-being that affect under-resourced communities more than others.

Transitioning to zero-carbon electricity to meet our transportation and heating and cooling needs is generally the most practical and cost-effective way to decarbonize. And it further reduces harmful emissions associated with transporting fossil fuels. In addition, as renewables and other zero-carbon resources continue to grow, electrifying transportation, buildings and industry allows us to maximize the impact of our growing clean energy supply.

Solar arrays and wind turbines are distributed throughout our territory, including on or beside homes and businesses. On average, they produce less energy per unit than a traditional coal or natural-gas power plant. And their output depends on Mother Nature; they cannot simply turn on. So to scale renewable energy, the grid must accept power sources from thousands of “mini power plants” instead of a few “mega power plants.”

These mini power plants have advantages and limitations. They are often renewable and can be located closer to where customers are consuming the power at their homes and businesses. But they require “two-way” power flows on a grid that was not designed for this type of use, making them more difficult to connect to and integrate into the power system while ensuring safety and reliability. It’s their placement all across our geography and intermittent production of power that require this transformation.

This is a wholesale transformation of what we think an electric grid needs to do. Instead of a one-directional model, where power flows into the home or business, as it has been for a century, the future requires a grid where power can flow in both directions. And, instead of power plants that can turn off and on when needed, the grid increasingly depends on intermittent power sources and maturing energy-storage technologies.

This kind of capability requires the grid (already one of the engineering marvels of the world) to reach whole new levels of flexibility, visibility and sophistication.

By mid-century, climate conditions for ComEd’s service territory are likely to be substantially warmer and more humid in all seasons, creating increased stress to grid equipment and increased demand for air conditioning in the summer, spring and fall. In winter, climate change impacts likely will mean fewer snowstorms, but more icing that also increases the risk of power outages. In addition, evolving threats require us to ensure that our critical infrastructure is protected year-round, both in terms of cyber and physical security.

Our customers and communities will need to depend on our electric grid through all seasons and conditions, which means the investments we make today must be able to withstand the climate challenges of tomorrow.

People have long been passive consumers of electricity. But that’s all changing. Now, customers have options based on insight and information about energy use at their fingertips. This kind of visibility means that our customers have more choices. They can install distributed energy resources, such as solar and wind generation and battery storage, and they can take advantage of incentives that can put money in their pocket when they change when and how they use electricity.

Just as high-tech has transformed virtually every industry, electric companies are now leveraging technology to build stronger, more efficient, more resilient electric infrastructure and service operations. This is a boon for consumers who receive better service at the lowest practical costs. Under ComEd’s regulatory system, we pass cost savings from efficiency measures on to customers through the rate-making process.