Lawmaker asks for investigation of ComEd charitable giving

A suburban lawmaker has asked Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the state's top utility regulator to investigate ComEd's charitable giving.

State Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican, made the request Tuesday following a Chicago Tribune story that detailed how ComEd has "been using ratepayer funds to make charitable contributions that appear to be intended to further its policy agenda to obtain rate increases," Duffy said in a statement.

A statement from ComEd says it's proud of its corporate citizenship.

"The contributions provide important benefits to our customers," the statement reads. "All ComEd contributions are made in accordance with the Illinois law that has been in place for three decades."

Madigan's office said the attorney general has opposed ComEd rate hikes and pointed to lawmakers for a fix because state law allows for the reimbursements in question.

"Unfortunately, Illinois law allows ComEd to pass the costs of its charitable donations onto ratepayers," Madigan spokeswoman Natalie Bauer Luce said. "That law should be changed to better protect ratepayers. It is outrageous that they are charged to pay for ComEd's goodwill."

How much ComEd can charge for the delivery of electricity is determined in part by state regulators, and the company has included some of its charitable giving among the costs it has ratepayers help cover, which law allows them to do.

Duffy said that giving should be detailed further because it can sometimes advance the utility's lobbying causes.

"Not only has ComEd failed to disclose their charitable donations to their customers, but also seems to shield the fact that many of these donations have indirectly been funneled to lawmakers to influence policies that benefit their bottom line," Duffy said.