300 mutual assistance workers arriving to assist with restoration

CHICAGO (March 2, 2023) – In anticipation of significant winter weather coming to northern Illinois on Friday, ComEd will open its Emergency Operations Center Friday morning, and bring in 300 mutual assistance workers from other states, as it gets equipment and additional crews in place to be prepared for potential power outages. Coming one week after damaging ice storms that struck communities in north and northwest Illinois, forecasts project wet, heavy snow, potential icing and wind gusts of more than 40 miles per hour in some areas.

"We know this can be a one-two punch for people who were affected by last week's weather. We are taking proactive steps now to be ready to work quickly and safely to restore power to any customers who lose service," said Terence Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd. "We recognize that any outage is inconvenient for our customers, which is why we continue to make investments to harden the power grid and improve resilience to storms, especially as they become more frequent and severe due to climate change."

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.

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.