ComEd Prepares for Severe Weather and Snow Across Northern Illinois
Customers encouraged to stay safe and report outages by texting OUT to 26633 (COMED)
CHICAGO (Jan. 25, 2021) – With severe weather forecasted across northern Illinois starting Monday afternoon, ComEd is proactively opening its Emergency Operations Center and getting equipment and additional crews in place to respond to potential power interruptions. Forecasts project 6 inches to 12 inches of wet, heavy snow and high wind gusts across northern Illinois.
“We are positioning our people and equipment to respond quickly and safely to any interruptions that result from this storm,” said Terry Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd. “We realize that any interruption is an inconvenience to our customers, and during a pandemic, avoiding interruptions and restoring service quickly is critical. We have strengthened our system over the years to reduce the impacts a storm like this can have on our customers.”
Since it started smart grid investments in 2012, ComEd has improved overall reliability by more than 80 percent across ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory and avoided more than 16.5 million customer interruptions. ComEd uses advanced distribution automation or digital “smart switches” that now automatically reroute power around potential problem areas.
“After the historic derecho last August,” Donnelly said, “our grid investments allowed ComEd to safely restore power to half a million customers in record time, prevent nearly twice as many customers from losing service and avoid millions of dollars in customer costs.”
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 restoring areas with the greatest number of customers. The company will further increase its focus on critical care facilities as they are more critical than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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. Additionally, for the safety of themselves and the public, crews are practicing social distancing.
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 on its website at ComEd.com/map allows customers to easily find information on the location and size of outages and get estimated power restoration times.