CHICAGO, Jan 23, 2026, 05:36 CST
- Commonwealth Edison proposed a $15.3 billion grid investment plan to Illinois regulators, aiming for upgrades between 2028 and 2031.
- ComEd estimated that, pending approval, the plan could raise the average residential monthly bill by about $2.50 to $3.00 starting in 2028.
- The proposal has moved into the state review phase, which is set to wrap up by the end of this year, while a separate rate filing is anticipated in 2027.
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has submitted a $15.3 billion grid upgrade plan to the Illinois Commerce Commission, covering 2028 through 2031, aiming to handle rising electricity demand. The utility said if the proposal gets the green light, average residential bills could rise by about $2.50 to $3.00 per month starting in 2028. ComEd also pointed out that demand growth is already stressing over 70 substations across its network, which serves roughly 4 million customers in northern Illinois. (Power System Technology)
The proposal comes as the region targets big power users such as data centers, while electric vehicle adoption climbs and buildings grow more dependent on electricity. Utility planners are bracing for a significant jump in demand. Regulators must now decide how far to go in preparing for the surge.
The real fight isn’t over electricity prices themselves, but the delivery charges covering the wires, poles, and utility profits. Once utilities approve long-term projects, those costs typically land on consumers’ bills—even if the work takes place years later.
ComEd’s plan calls for constructing new substations, increasing capacity on current lines, and upgrading to advanced smart meters. It also aims to speed up interconnection for new solar and wind projects, while installing tougher equipment built to endure extreme weather.
“A reliable, affordable and modern power grid is the foundation of economic growth and quality of life in northern Illinois,” said ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones. The Exelon subsidiary emphasized how its plan aligns with the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act. ComEd pointed out nine major commercial projects announced last year, totaling over $13 billion in planned investment. It also highlighted that more than 1.4 gigawatts of distributed solar are already connected to its network. Regulators are set to decide on the plan by the end of 2026, ahead of a separate rate filing due in January 2027. (Business Wire)
ComEd is leaning heavily on software and communication tech to manage a grid with power moving both ways—from rooftop solar, batteries, and conventional power plants. Among their key tools is DERMS, a distributed energy resource management system designed to forecast, monitor, and control these scattered assets.
Illinois regulators are pushing utilities for sharper transparency on reliability spending. In a December 2024 final order tied to ComEd’s first-ever multi-year grid plan, the commission required ComEd and Ameren to develop clearer approaches for valuing avoided outages and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of their reliability investments. (Illinois Commerce Commission)
Consumer groups are preparing to take a hard look at the new filing, with affordability at the forefront of their worries. “We are concerned how any rate hike will impact consumers,” Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board, said in a statement after the 2024 ruling on ComEd’s earlier plan. (PR Newswire)
Ameren Illinois is moving forward as well. The utility put forward a four-year integrated grid plan for 2028-2031 under CEJA, aiming for a complete shift to carbon-free energy by 2050. The state commission has about 11 months to issue its ruling. (Ameren)
The math can shift quickly. If demand for data centers or EVs misses expectations, or project costs rise, regulators could pull back on investments or push back timelines — easing pressure on rate hikes in the short term but raising the risk of future capacity shortages.
The grid plan itself doesn’t set rates. The ICC’s decision, expected by the end of 2026, will fix ComEd’s budget for 2028-2031 and shape the next pricing showdown in the 2027 rate case.
