Schaumburg wins $100,000 in ComEd Community Challenge

ComEd on Thursday announced Schaumburg as the winner of the company's first Community Energy Challenge, aimed at inspiring more cost-effective and efficient energy use.

Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson received the competition's $100,000 cash prize at a lunchtime event at Maggiano's in Oak Brook. He said the money will be used to implement future "Green Team" projects in the village.

Other communities that took part in the challenge were Aurora, Carol Stream, Elgin, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Oak Park, Orland Park and Wilmette.

Schaumburg's programs that led to the village's win included providing grants to residents and businesses for energy efficiency improvements, the upgrading of computer equipment, improving the efficiency of streetlights and traffic signals, and a communications campaign aimed at getting large businesses to reduce their energy use.

The village also instigated a school water conservation challenge and upgraded its fire station efficiencies to help conserve about 900,000 gallons of water during the competition.

Larson said the tireless work of Senior Landscape Planner Martha Dooley and her intern is almost wholly responsible for Schaumburg's win.

"It's really gratifying to see that kind of dedication recognized," Larson said.

ComEd officials said the programs developed by all nine competing communities resulted in the saving of 34.9 million kilowatt hours of energy or the equivalent of what's used by 2,000 homes for a year, and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to taking 4,669 cars off the road for a year.