Before computerized smart switches started being added to utility poles, ComEd didn’t know where the outages were unless a customer called.
Digital devices with names like “IntelliRupter” and “Viper” that dangle on utility poles help locate damaged circuits, assess how widespread the outage is and automatically repair most outages within seconds.
ComEd executives say they hope to have 90 percent of the utility’s grid installed with smart switches within five years. The goal is to reduce the number of residences affected by an outage to no more than 500 customers.
Meter readers are being trained to install smart meters, devices that alert ComEd to outages at the customer level and transmit information about electric usage.
The first 68,000 smart meters are being installed by year’s end. By 2021, ComEd expects to have replaced all 4 million of its meters with the devices.
About $2.6 billion is being invested in the devices and upgrading ComEd’s aging infrastructure. ComEd said half of its equipment is more than 40 years old, and 30 percent of its poles are more than 50 years old.
ComEd said that over the next 10 years, its 3.8 million customers will be charged an additional $3 per month to pay for improvements.
