ComEd has launched a new Long-Range Strategy (LRS) to modernize northern Illinois' power grid, aiming to meet rising energy demand, uphold reliability, and drive the state's clean energy and economic goals for decades.
ComEd today announced the launch of its ambitious new Long-Range Strategy (LRS), a comprehensive roadmap designed to prepare the power grid in northern Illinois for the transformative energy landscape of the 21st century. The strategy outlines how the utility will guide future investments to meet rapidly growing energy demand, maintain affordability and its current high standard of reliability, and actively advance Illinois' clean energy and economic development objectives.
The LRS comes at a critical juncture for the energy industry, which is grappling with significant shifts including the proliferation of data centers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, increasing electrification of vehicles and homes, more frequent severe weather events, and accelerating supply chain challenges that place upward pressure on customer costs
The strategy is built around three central pillars—People, Power, and Progress—that will guide ComEd's future investments and ongoing work across its diverse service territory, which spans from bustling urban centers to rural farmland.
1. People: Empowering Communities and Customers: This priority focuses on smart technology investments designed to help customers manage and lower their energy usage and costs. This includes leveraging new tools and programs to enhance energy efficiency and financial savings.
2. Power: Securing an Efficient and Durable Grid: This section details necessary infrastructure upgrades to enhance the grid's resilience and flexibility. These investments are crucial for supporting the massive growth of renewable energy resources, such as solar, while maintaining ComEd's current industry-leading reliability and grid security.
3. Progress: Advancing Illinois’ Clean Energy and Economic Development Goals: The LRS commits to economic development initiatives aimed at attracting business growth, fostering job creation, and ensuring long-term prosperity across its service area.
ComEd's LRS is fully aligned with landmark state legislation, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and the recently passed Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGAA). The strategy will directly inform ComEd’s second multi-year grid plan, which it plans to submit to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in January 2026. This legislative and strategic alignment is intended to ensure that reliability, affordability, and equity remain central to all future infrastructure decisions.
ComEd notes substantial progress has already been made in preparation for this long-term vision. Since 2012, reliability has improved by 57%, helping customers avoid 24.7 million outages and saving them an estimated $4.3 billion in related costs. The utility has connected over 1 gigawatt of distributed generation, including solar, to the electricity grid. Furthermore, its workforce development programs have trained more than 2,100 Illinois residents for careers in the growing clean energy sector, positioning the state's workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.
