Working to bring Exelon customers the benefits of latest federal investments in tomorrow’s cleaner, more resilient grid
Electric customers in northern Illinois and greater Philadelphia will soon benefit from additional enhancements to their local energy grid, as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Exelon energy companies ComEd and PECO as recipients of federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) awards. The competitive awards were a product of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes funding for energy grid upgrades in addition to broadband internet expansion and a range of projects that would strengthen the nation’s infrastructure and core services. Since the act was signed into law in 2021, Exelon has been seeking opportunities to compete for and leverage these resources to help drive the clean energy transition and make energy more affordable for our customers.
The Exelon proposals selected for funding under the current grants include:
Illinois: Enhancing the ability of the power grid in the Rockford, Illinois region to deliver affordable, clean energy to customers. ComEd will direct $50 million to enable customers and local partners to deploy next-generation grid technologies in support of the growth of solar energy and electric vehicles. Local workforce training initiatives will benefit from the funding and support job creation connected to the clean energy transition.
Pennsylvania: Critical electric infrastructure investments to help reduce the impact of extreme weather and historic flooding on the company’s electric distribution system in Pennsylvania. PECO will direct $100 million to help ensure that when severe weather strikes, grid equipment will better withstand extreme events and be more resilient, allowing customers to have power restored in less time.
The two GRIP awards are just the latest in a portfolio of IIJA grant-funded projects—applied for and awarded —on behalf of customers at Exelon’s six local energy companies.
The Department of Energy also recently announced that it will create two of its regional clean hydrogen hubs, the Mid-Atlantic hub and the Midwest hub, in Exelon service areas. These projects will go a long way toward accelerating access to clean and affordable hydrogen to meet the nation’s ambitious carbon reduction goals and creating thousands of clean energy jobs in Exelon’s service territories. PECO and Pepco in the Mid-Atlantic region, and ComEd in Chicago, were part of the consortiums of partners that came together to make each of these regional bids a ’winning bid’ – with only seven locations selected nationally.
We look forward to the continued partnership with the Department of Energy and regional stakeholders to successfully implement this funding for these historic projects that will bring clean energy benefits to our customers and communities.