Patch on Politics

ComEd Wants You to Pay More for Electricity You Used Last Year

The utility wants lawmakers to amend a 2011 rate-hike law to allow the utility to retroactively collect money for electricity already used.

 The Illinois Senate Executive Committee unanimously approved a request by ComEd and Ameren to "clarify" a 2011 law that allowed the utilities to raise electricity rates, Illinois Public Radio reports. The clarification would allow the power companies to retroactively charge higher rates for the electricity you've already used, potentially raising up to $70 million for ComEd, according to Sun-Times Media. The 2011 law changed the formula used to determine charges. But the utilities say it didn't work as intended. They say regulators aren't letting them charge what they need. Now the companies are back, asking the legislature to pass another law, clarifying the old one.  (Says) ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore: "Without it we are stalled in these…

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Tom S

9:42 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013

Under the Smart Grid law passed in 2011, ComEd committed to spend $2.6 billion over 10 years to modernize the electric grid in Northern Illinois. The ICC's interpretation of the law reduced funding to complete the modernization program. As a result, ComEd faced a reduction in funding of nearly $100 million per year in 2014 and beyond. Without the additional funding, ComEd stated it could not …   more ›

What's Next For Your Power Bills

Voters on Tuesday passed a measure that will make electrical aggregation a reality for Mokena. What does that mean for you and your power bill?

Voters on Tuesday passed a referendum the village hopes could find a lower power price for residents and small businesses. The process should take a few months, but the village hopes to get a cheaper rate by late summer or early fall. "We're starting on what we need to do," Assistant Village Administrator Kirk Zoellner said. "We've just got some work to do and we're getting to it." Here's what that means for you. ComEd is a wire company. ComEd chose a supplier to provide them the electricity, which it then gets to your home and business. Electrical aggregation, which the state Legislature approved last year, lets towns and counties shop around for a provider with a better deal. If they find a better deal, they switch over to that provider …

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Electrical Aggregation Forum Talks Power

The village held a special forum Tuesday night to discuss a referendum they hope could cut residents' electricity bills.

Mokena residents gathered Tuesday night at the park district headquarters to learn about a referendum the village hopes could cut residents' electricity bills. The residents met to hear about electrical aggregation, which a recent state law allows villages and counties to use to shop around for a better price than ComEd offers. Read past Mokena Patch stories about electrical aggregation. This would only affect the power-supply portion of the electrical bill, Assistant Village Administrator Kirk Zoellner said. That's about 60 percent of the total bill for most residents and businesses, he said. Whoever provides the power, it would still come through the ComEd infrastructure and the bill would still come from ComEd. "They really don't care …

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Why You Should Care About Electrical Aggregation

On Tuesday, the village will hold a special forum on a referendum they hope can cut electricity bills for homes and small businesses.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Village of Mokena will hold a public forum at the park district main office to discuss electrical aggregation for residences and small retail businesses within village limits. OK, that was super boring. Let's try that again. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, the village will gather people together to talk about a plan they hope could cut the electricity bills for your homes and businesses. Much better. Before Mokena joins New Lenox and other towns that have electrical aggregation, voters must approve a referendum that's going on the March 20 ballot. Here's a quick look at the issue. State law changed last year to allow villages and counties to shop around for better electricity prices than ComEd offers. If ComEd …

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Paul Dailing

2:56 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012

You can submit questions here: http://mokena.org/forms.aspx?FID=74 Otherwise you can call Kirk Zoellner or Lou Tiberi at 708-479-3900 during village office hours. Hope this helps!   more ›

ComEd Customers Used All-Time Power High During Heat Wave

Between the heat wave and the intense storms the Southland has experienced this summer, the last few weeks have been busy for ComEd.

Southland citizens had a rough time trying to cool down during last week's heat wave. Just how hot was it?  "Customers were using an all-time high of power," said ComEd spokeswoman Arlana Johnson. "It is the most power used at one time since August 2006." According to a ComEd press release, customer demand reached an a peak usage milestone late Wednesday afternoon. However, according to Johnson, this intense usage has yet to negatively impact the ComEd power grid. “Our system is performing really well and we didn't experience any issues," said Johnson. "We put extra crews on notice in case there were any problems. We had 350 crews available, which is 100 more than on a typical summer day." According to Johnson, a far bigger issue is the …

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Larry

12:06 pm on Sunday, October 2, 2011

Ambit Energy has a fixed rate plan at 6.9/kWh or a month to month plan at 7.2/kWh and also a Certified Green plan. They offer a monthly budget plan for those who choose that option. Unlike some other suppliers Ambit Energy is based in the United States and thats where I would like to keep my money invested. http://www.swasso.joinambit.com   more ›

Mokena Could Go For Power Referendum

In a Monday night planning session, village staff and board discussed steps to bid competitively for Mokena's electricity.

Mokena could join a growing number of Illinois towns in looking for cheaper electricity than ComEd. They just need your approval to do so. On Monday night, the village board held a planning session where they discussed several long-term goals. One village goal is to get a referendum on the ballot next year to aggregate electricity prices, negotiating prices from several power companies rather than just taking whatever rates ComEd offers. The Illinois General Assembly only changed the law earlier this year so municipalities could get other options for power than ComEd. Towns like Lincolnwood jumped on the opportunity, passing referenda in the April election to allow them to look at other options. Read "Electricity Aggregation: What Comes …

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