Business & Tech

ComEd Continues Storm Hardening Efforts in Darien

Thanks to upgrades in grid, utility company says service reliability in Darien is better than it was before.


ComEd says efforts to modernize the power system with digital technology and to replace, refurbish and upgrade electrical equipment across northern Illinois has led to improved service reliability in Darien, according to a company press release.

Storm hardening work performed in the city to date has contributed to 925 avoided outages in Darien over the past two years, including:

  • Installation of 15 distribution automation devices which detect issues and re-route power often with no noticeable interruption in service. ComEd is planning 15 additional installations in 2014.

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  • Refurbished or replacement of more than 23,000 feet of URD cable. In 2014, more than 40,000 feet of URD cable installation is planned for the year.

  • Installation of 2,700 feet of spacer cable as part of the storm hardening program, which is a stronger, more tree-resistant type of cable.

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    “The modernized grid is contributing to reduced outages and delivering cost savings related to outages to our customers,” said Fidel Marquez, senior vice-president, Governmental and External Affairs for ComEd. “We are working with officials in Darien to identify areas where we can make the greatest impact in improving reliability and storm response. More than 500,000 customer outages were avoided since investments began in 2012.”

    The improvements are part of an overall ComEd plan to modernize the grid over the next ten years under the Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act. The utility company plans to invest $2.6 billion.



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