ComEd record finds financial investments in domestic solar, energy efficiency benefit all consumers

Feb 19, 2021 04:11 PM ET
  • ComEd today reported to the Illinois Commerce Compensation (ICC) that property customers are receiving cost savings and clean power benefits from the Future Power Jobs Act (FEJA) and that these benefits are higher than the prices to clients.

Passed by the Illinois General Assembly in 2016, FEJA is starting renewable energy and boosting cost savings with new energy effectiveness options for less than the caps established by the legislation.

" FEJA is making good on its assurance to aid our customers and also communities get to clean and also extra efficient power, as well as the benefits continue to outweigh the expenses," stated ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez. "Since the state passed FEJA, energy efficiency financial investments have actually saved clients nearly as much energy as they saved in the one decade before FEJA at about half the expense."

ComEd's annual reports to the ICC detail the total advancing average investment costs as well as benefits in the initial four years of FEJA. From 2017 through 2020, domestic clients recognized ordinary month-to-month cost savings of more than $1.30 per month when factoring in the advantages of financial investments in power efficiency as well as solar power adoption. The web expenses and advantages for business clients continue to be below the enforced laws cost cap of 0.12 cents per kWh. Since 2020, the net costs and also advantages for nonresidential customers, that are exempt from energy efficiency programs, continue to be listed below the legislated price cap of 0.078 cents per kWh.

Customer access to renewable resource is acquiring grip under FEJA. In 2020, a record 10,250 ComEd domestic clients connected energy resources like personal solar to the ComEd grid. Commercial and industrial businesses and area supply projects brought the total amount to greater than 10,500 interconnections, standing for 183 MW of dispersed generation. ComEd also attached 20 area solar jobs in 2020, as well as 55 more jobs are incomplete. The distributed generation refund program for commercial and also industrial clients grew from $8 million in repayments in 2019 to $21 million in 2020.

FEJA also is creating chances for underrepresented populations, including members of varied ecological justice neighborhoods and also returning citizens, through training supplied by profession and neighborhood groups. More than 1,300 trainees have actually completed the Craft Instruction Program led by the IBEW Electrical Workers Renewable Resource Fund, along with the Solar Pipe and also Multi-cultural Job Training programs; greater than 25% safeguarded jobs in solar panel installation, or working as energy brokers, website surveyors, training trainers or various other settings.

FEJA enables Illinois energies, like those in numerous various other states, to deal with power effectiveness like other energy investments, as well as amortize them throughout their useful lives. As an example, the cost of ComEd rebates to consumers for new LED illumination is amortized over the anticipated helpful life of the new light bulbs. This permits the company to boost client discounts as well as make various other investments required to achieve Illinois' aggressive energy efficiency goals while decreasing the impact on monthly bills.

FEJA will certainly remain in area via 2031 as well as is developed to reinforce as well as broaden financing for Illinois' Renewable Portfolio Standard by developing a lasting procurement process and also giving as much as $220 million each year in funding for wind and also solar advancement.


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