Cost savings for ComEd customers

It’s tough right now to be a consumer, with inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other market forces pushing prices up on everything from groceries to home loans to used cars. We’re especially feeling pain at the pump and in our monthly energy bills.

That’s why we were greatly satisfied to learn about the cost savings ComEd customers are set to receive thanks to a provision in the state’s recently enacted Climate and Equity Jobs Act called the Carbon Mitigation Credit Program.

Climate Jobs Illinois, a labor coalition representing the state’s hundreds of thousands of union working men and women, was the original proponent of the program as part of our support to preserve the state’s carbon-free nuclear plants and to save thousands of union jobs that operate these facilities.

The Carbon Mitigation Credit Program does two things: 1) It ensures the nuclear plants are provided subsidies to meet their annual costs for costs necessary for continued operation, based on an independent audit; and 2) It protects customers against high energy prices like we’re seeing right now. The new law requires the utility to repay customers when wholesale electricity prices rise above the established contract price for any reason during the contract term.

Our support for nuclear subsidies and the Carbon Mitigation Program was not a popular position during the months-long legislative negotiations, but we’re pleased our persistence paid off. Because the program was ultimately included in the final bill, ComEd customers now will save an average $237 on their energy bills over the next year.

That is good policymaking in action.

Pat Devaney, Climate Jobs Illinois /

Illinois AFL-CIO