Woodridge ComEd Upgrades to Conclude by Late June

ComEd will start an electric infrastructure upgrade project in the Westview Lane and Everglade Avenue area this month. The project is designed to improve the performance the electric system and enhance the reliability of service, according to a release.

The work is scheduled to begin in May and conclude by late June.

"Upgrades will include the replacement of existing poles and installation of new cable that is specifically designed for areas with a high density of tall trees in close proximity to overhead power lines," according to the village.

"This improvement, coupled with ComEd's regular tree trimming, will improve the overall performance of the circuit during storms. Overall, the grid modernization investments will help ComEd significantly reduce outages and give customers the tools to manage their own energy usage and save money."

The Woodridge improvements are part of a 10-year, $2.6 billion modernization plan for ComEd. Work on the plan began three months ago. Since then, ComEd has replaced or injected approximately 140 miles of cable, according to a ComEd release.

 The company is "well on its way to meeting its goals to strengthen the existing infrastructure, improve the delivery of electricity to homes and businesses, and give consumers much greater control over the energy they use and how they pay for it," the release said.

The plan was authorized as part of the Energy Infrastructure Modernization act enacted by the Illinois General Assembly in October.

By year-end, ComEd will have replaced or injected more than 450 miles of underground cable, and replaced or reinforced approximately 2,500 wood poles to enhance performance and reduce service interruptions. ComEd will also have installed more than 450 distribution automation devices for about 200,000 customers by year-end to automatically detect and reroute power around potential problems on the system, significantly reducing the duration of interruptions.

Ultimately, according to the release, the grid modernization investments will help ComEd significantly reduce outages and will give customers the tools to manage their energy usage and save money.