ComEd presses cases for rate hikes, grid upgrades

SPRINGFIELD — ComEd went to the legislature Tuesday with a proposal that could raise suburban residents’ electric bills every year but could also make the company’s grid more capable of handling smartphones, electric cars and other gadgets.

ComEd President Anne Pramaggiore held up a cell phone and tablet computer as she testified before a joint meeting of House and Senate committees, arguing the electrical system that delivers power to homes needs to be improved.

But consumer advocates object that ComEd’s proposal mostly removes state regulators from the rate-increase process.

The company wants to pay $2.6 billion over several years to upgrade systems and train employees. But ComEd wants a guarantee it can recover those investments via higher electric bills for customers. The company estimates the plan would cost an average homeowner about $3 more per month.

Pramaggiore told lawmakers that what residents pay for electricity will continue to climb — without upgrades or not — as energy costs go up.

“Rates will still go up, but Illinois will forego smart grid and all of its benefits,” she said.

Consumer advocates object, though. They argue ComEd wants too many changes to the current rate-increase process, where state regulators tell the company how much more they can collect.

Instead, they say ComEd’s plan means there will be no doubt about rate increases in the future.

“We believe it’s a formula for automatic rate increases,” Citizens Utility Board Executive Director David Kolata said.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also objects to ComEd’s plan.

The issue will be negotiated for the next several months in Springfield. In the meantime, ComEd’s most recent case to ask state regulators for a $396 million rate hike — separate from legislation they’ve asked for — remains under review.