CHICAGO (February 8, 2018) – A ComEd employee was recently honored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) with the Technology Transfer Award. The Technology Transfer Award is given annually to utility employees who have explored and implemented innovative technologies on behalf of their company and the industry.

Laura Randle-Smith, Manager of Reliability Programs, engaged in a research project to deploy low-cost sensors on distribution poles. Randle-Smith was part of a team of employees from fellow Exelon companies BGE, PECO and Pepco Holdings who researched how deploying low-cost sensors on electric distribution poles could assist utilities in responding to outages faster and more efficiently. The sensors, developed by EPRI, use three-axis accelerometer technology to communicate over a cellular network to detect a downed utility pole. Using sensors on utility poles can speed up the recovery time and allow utilities to know exactly where the downed pole is located to quickly deploy resources. Nearly 20 sensors in total were installed as part of this project.

“We are working every day to advance smart energy initiatives for our customers and for our employees,” said Terence R. Donnelly, ComEd executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Young leaders like Laura inspire us and play a central role in this effort. This award demonstrates our continued commitment to new and innovative technologies across all areas of our company – and affirms the need to encourage future leaders like Laura.”

The awards were presented during EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization (PDU) awards dinner in Coronado, CA, on February 6.

“The 2017 Technology Transfer Award winners have taken EPRI R&D to new levels to shape and improve an integrated energy network,” said Arshad Mansoor, senior vice president of R&D at EPRI. “The commitment and collaboration demonstrated by these individuals and teams not only benefits their companies, but the entire industry as we all have a stake in transforming and integrating the power system.”

Ten employees from Exelon’s utilities and generation fleet received a total of five awards.

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Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 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, Twitter and YouTube.

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