Tuesday, April 16, 2013
23 businesses participated in the program, which provides free utility audits and more educational ways to "green" the bottom line.
Local businesses are going green as part of an Oak Park Development Corporation program aimed at sustainability practices and saving some green in the process. OPDC, which works toward economic growth, is helping 23 businesses from Oak Park and River Forest with the program, which has funding support from the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation and the Village of River Forest. Businesses participating in the one-year program receive two free audits, five educational seminars, free products and installations, networking opportunities and a marketing kit to announce greening efforts to consumers. Participants will also learn about efforts that other local businesses have made in sustainability areas of waste and recycling, energy…
Saturday, February 16, 2013
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…
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Oak Park selected after worldwide search for program to put free solar panels on 200 buildings to reduce energy use, provide data.
If you're interested in getting a free solar panel system on the roof of your house, it's lucky to live in Oak Park. The village has been selected out of a worldwide search for a two-year test program that will install solar panels on 200 buildings in Oak Park between 2013 and through 2014. Residents will be able to keep the solar panels after the test program has concluded, worth $20,000-30,000, the Chicago Tribune reports. Village trustees signed a letter of intent with the Korean Smart Grid Institutes and the Institute for Sustainable Energy Development earlier in October after a unanimous vote by the board in favor of collaborating on the project. 12-13 three-Kilowatt solar panels will be placed on the roofs of 100 residential and 100 …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Devices blamed for small fires in River Forest and Berwyn.
- POLICE & FIRE
- Casey Cora
-
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The installation of smart meters, the devices promising customers real-time information about peak electricity use, has caused three small fires in area homes, ComEd has confirmed. The utility giant in a statement said the small residential fires, two in River Forest and one in Berwyn, weren't caused by faulty meters. The problem "was related to fitting and connection issues with an older-model socket that had a poor connection at the point where the customer's wires and ComEd's wires meet." Related: Oak Park Senator a Key Figure in ComEd Bill According to Crain's Chicago Business, which broke the story last week, ComEd has nonetheless replaced the meters in those homes. And the company said it's performing daily temperature scans on all …
Monday, July 2, 2012
Heavy storms knock out power to local institutions and neighborhoods. What are you seeing out there?
Update, Wednesday 12:11 p.m. Wednesday Journal reports 1,000 customers remain without power in Oak Park and River Forest. From the village of River Forest's officials website: A representative from Com Ed contacted Village Hall today, July 4th, to provide an update on electrical repairs in River Forest. Due to the large extent of the damage, electrical work can only begin once tree removal/trimming is completed. Crews are working on that right now. New electrical poles are required and are expected to arrive later today. Once all trees/limbs are clear of the work area, electrical repairs will begin. Com Ed anticipates retoring power to remaining customers in River Forest by the end of today (July 4th). Unfortunately, at this time …
Friday, June 8, 2012
Oak Park rolls out the welcome mat for leaders with Korea Smart Grid Institute, who've brought with them plans for residential and commercial energy efficiency.
Leaders with the Korea Smart Grid Institute were in Oak Park recently, exploring the village as a test ground for energy innovations. Sustainability manager K.C. Poulos said they're hoping to demonstrate two major projects here. One is a residential solar-charged battery system allowing a home to function off the electric grid. The other project would be commercial. Poulos said the Smart Grid Institute (SGI) is interested in creating devices that "help monitor and automate a building's energy use more efficiently." Both groups have also expressed interest in creating a solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations. Representatives from SGI and the village of Oak Park gathered at Oak Park Village Hall on Thursday to oversee a "letter of …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
An interactive map and smart phone app will convey information about outages quicker and better than ever, utility officials say.
- NEWS
-
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
As if experiencing a power outage is not frustrating enough, the situation intensifies when you cannot get information about it. ComEd on Monday announced two new ways in which it is using technology to communicate better and quicker with customers. The first is an interactive online outage map and, the second, a mobile application for smart phones. The interactive outage map is a color-coded map that allows customers to find information about: The outage map can be found under the Customer Service tab at comed.com or at comed.com/map. Using the map, customers can report outages and view all outages in the ComEd service territory. Color-coded icons indicate the number of customers affected by each incident. The map allows customers to zoom…
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The utility will use the new revenues to pay for "smart-grid" costs.
- NEWS
-
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Commonwealth Edison Co. has filed to boost its electricity rates by nearly a dollar per month next year to finance local power-grid improvements it's making under the 2011 “smart grid” law that permitted the utility to hike its charges annually per a set formula, Crain's Chicago Business is reporting. ComEd's rate on an average residential bill will climb 97 cents from today's rates, Crain's reported from an April 30 news release. The Illinois Commerce Commission will review the request under provisions in the new law that sharply curtail regulators' leeway to reject the utility's costs and profit margins. ComEd's delivery rates actually will decline from June though December of 2012 because its authorized return under the law is less than…
Saturday, April 21, 2012
U.S. Census figures show homeowners' preferred choices.
- PATCH'S HOUSE & HOME
-
Saturday, April 21, 2012
In honor of the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, observed every April 22, U.S. Census figures look at how we heat and cool our homes. Earth Day is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. The day came from reaction to a massive oil spill in waters near Santa Barbara, CA, in 1969. Earth Day, always April 22, has developed into Earth Week, April 16-22. Heating with Wood Less than 2 percent—2.2 million—of occupied housing units across the country were heated by wood in 2010. Heated by Solar Energy The estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by solar energy in 2010 was 38,010. ‘Cooking’ with Gas About half of all homes in the country—57 million—are estimated number of …
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Utility company warns of door-to-door ruse.
Prompted by a recent upswing in incidents involving scam artists impersonating ComEd workers, the utility is alerting its customers to be wary of gimmicks and schemes that could cost them money and valuable personal information. “Last year, ComEd received 13 reports of impersonation incidents,” said Kevin Brookins, senior vice president of strategy and administration for ComEd. “In just the past two months of this year, we’ve already received 28 reports of customers who have been lured into disclosing credit card information, handing over money to scam artists or allowing an impersonator to enter their homes.” In many of the reported cases, the impersonators identified themselves as a utility employee. Some of the perpetrators wore …
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 ›