ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Program Saves Northern Illinois Small Businesses $263M Annually — Commonwealth Edison Company

Event summary

ComEd has completed free facility assessments for over 100,000 small businesses in northern Illinois, helping them save $263M annually on energy costs.
$607M in incentives have been provided to offset the cost of energy-saving upgrades since 2015.
The program has saved 2.2B kWh of energy and avoided 1.7B pounds of carbon emissions, equivalent to planting 750K acres of trees or removing 176K cars from the road for a year.
ComEd extended its Customer Relief Fund with $2.5M in grants for eligible small- and medium-sized businesses with past-due balances.

The big picture

ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Program addresses a critical need for cost reduction among small businesses, aligning with broader state-level clean energy initiatives. The program’s success highlights the utility sector’s role in supporting economic resilience while advancing sustainability goals. With over $607M in incentives deployed since 2015, ComEd is positioning itself as a key partner for small businesses navigating financial pressures and regulatory shifts.

What we're watching

Program Scalability: Whether ComEd can sustain the pace of assessments and incentives as small businesses face rising operating costs.
Regulatory Alignment: How Illinois’ clean energy goals will influence further expansion or modification of the program.
Competitive Dynamics: The pace at which other utilities adopt similar programs to attract and retain small business customers.