Mayor Lori Lightfoot is putting pressure on ComEd to negotiate with her on a new utility contract by issuing a formal request to any other parties that can provide alternative ideas for delivering electricity to Chicago.
The request for information, issued Friday, seeks “ideas and expressions of interest to inform the City’s planning and determinations regarding future electricity delivery.”
The city’s long-term contract with ComEd, a “franchise” agreement that was entered into in 1992, expired at the end of last year. Lightfoot has applied pressure on the Chicago-based utility company to bargain with her for more than a year. She wants a shorter contract as well as company promises to help the city meet renewable energy and efficiency goals, improve infrastructure and eliminate customer disconnections.
The formal request, which sets a May 28 deadline for responses, suggests the city isn’t getting the concessions they want from ComEd.
“I’ve made it clear to ComEd what I expect in a new franchise — more accountability to Chicagoans, a continued focus on reliable electricity delivery, fast and transformative progress on our citywide climate goals and an equitable way to lower costs for residents,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “Whether it’s continuing to disconnect residents during the COVID-19 pandemic or recent rate increases, it is clearer than ever that we need an electricity franchise that delivers better results for our residents.”
A statement from the city also notes that the request doesn’t end the relationship between Chicago and ComEd and rather “serves as a due diligence effort” to ensure “the best electricity franchise possible.”
Lightfoot’s administration has even evaluated whether the city could take over the electric grid from ComEd but that study concluded such an effort would be too expensive.
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.
