ComEd Seeks Rate Hike to Help Pay for Smart Grid

The ICC has eight months to act on the request

Commonwealth Edison wants another rate increase to help offset the costs of modernizing Illinois' electric grid.

The company on Wednesday filed a rate request with the Illinois Commerce Commission, asking permission to collect an addition $275 million in delivery charges. The increase would cost residential customers about $3 per month extra starting in January 2015.

The ICC has eight months to act on the request. In December it approved a rate increase allowing ComEd to collect an additional $340 million this year.

The company says it's making "strong progress" on upgrades that include switching 4 million northern Illinois customers to wireless "smart meters."

ComEd and downstate electricity provider Ameren are undertaking a 10-year, $3.2 billion project to modernize and "storm-harden" Illinois' power grid. That includes replacing aging cables and poles.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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