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ComEd Says Power Grid Under "Critical Strain" On West Side, In Some West, Southwest Suburbs Amid Heat Wave
An Extreme Heat Warning persists through Thursday night for all counties in the Chicago area and the city of Chicago itself.
Updated on: July 1, 2026 / 4:04 PM CDT
ComEd has issued an urgent warning to people on the West Side of Chicago and in some west and southwest suburbs that the power grid is under "critical strain."
Find out what's happening in South Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The electricity utility company sent an alert to customers living and working in Berwyn, Cicero, North Riverside, Stickney, Forest Park, Maywood, Oak Park and the Chicago neighborhoods of Little Village, North Lawndale, Douglas Park, Garfield Park and Austin about the strain the heat wave is placing on the power grid.
While no power outages have yet been reported, ComEd said demand on the local grid that serves those areas has reached a "critical level," and customers should immediately reduce energy use to prevent power outages.
