Customers are encouraged to report outages and stay safe around electrical equipment

CHICAGO (June 29, 2023) – In anticipation of severe weather coming to northern Illinois, ComEd will open its Emergency Operations Center Thursday afternoon as it readies equipment and mobilizes additional crews in preparation for potential power outages. Forecasts project heavy rain, lightning and wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour in some areas as well as the potential for tornadoes in some areas starting today.

"We recognize that outages at any time are inconvenient," said Dave Perez, senior vice-president of Distribution Operations, ComEd. "Our goal is to get our customers and communities back quickly and safely to minimize the interruption to their lives and livelihoods and enjoy time with friends and loved ones. Going into this holiday weekend, crews will work around the clock to make repairs so we get the power flowing for any and every customer who experiences an outage."

ComEd has been investing in tree trimming and system upgrades to minimize the impact of storms. Since smart grid upgrades began in 2011, more than 19 million power outages have been avoided and overall reliability has improved by more than 80 percent. In 2022, ComEd had its best reliability on record.

ComEd's multi-year plans, shared earlier this year, will prioritize modernizing the electric grid to ensure it remains reliable and resilient as severe weather events become more common, strengthen the region's infrastructure and economy, and increase access to the benefits of clean energy and decarbonization under Illinois' Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). These plans outline ComEd's investments to improve service reliability and storm response, including:

• Upgrading and replacing poor-performing or obsolete cable, wood poles and other equipment;
• Trimming or removing trees near power lines; and
• Deploying advanced analytics that help prevent power outages and improve restoration of service to customers.

"We continue to make investments to mitigate the impact of storms," said Perez. "Without that work, we likely would have seen many more customers lose service and longer restoration times."

When responding to power outages caused by storms, ComEd's priority is to restore critical facilities such as police and fire stations, nursing homes and hospitals first, followed by repairs that will restore power to the greatest number of customers.

Public safety is paramount, and ComEd encourages customers to take the following precautions:

• If a downed power line is spotted, immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661). Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237).
• Never approach a downed power line. Always assume a power line is extremely dangerous and energized.
• In the event of an outage, do not approach ComEd crews working to restore power to ask about restoration times. Crews may be working on live electrical equipment, and the perimeter of the work zone may be hazardous.

ComEd urges customers to contact the company immediately if they experience a power outage. Customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report an outage and receive restoration information and can follow the company on Twitter @ComEd or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ComEd. Customers can also call 1-800 EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661), or report outages via the website at ComEd.com/report. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955-8237). 

ComEd's mobile app for iPhone and Android® smart phones gives customers the ability to report power outages and manage their accounts; download the app at ComEd.com/app.

ComEd's interactive outage map at ComEd.com/map allows customers to easily find information on the location and size of outages and get estimated power restoration times.