In late 2009, ComEd received approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to begin installing its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)—also known as “smart meters.” This technology is now being piloted to a test group of 131,000 residences in the City of Chicago and nine other communities.
As approved by the ICC, the $71 million Smart Meter program is to be paid for by all of ComEd’s 3.8 million customers. So, although Willowbrook is not part of the current pilot program, residents may start to note new charges on ComEd bills. These charges, on average, should be less than $1 per customer per month—amounting to an average cost of about $5 per year for residential customers. ComEd further estimates that non-residential customers (demanding less than 400 kilowatts) will experience average additional charges of about $10 per year starting in 2010.
Smart Meter technology is the foundation of a smart grid electrical system that aims to enhance overall system reliability and improve energy efficiency. Residents can obtain more information about the Smart Meter program at http://www.ComEd.com/smartmeter.