What Happened to Commonwealth Edison (ComEd)?

Commonwealth Edison, widely known as ComEd, serves over 4 million customers across northern Illinois, providing electricity delivery services as a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation. The company's recent history has been significantly shaped by a federal corruption investigation into a long-running bribery scheme. In July 2020, ComEd entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the U.S. Attorney's Office, agreeing to pay a $200 million fine. The utility admitted to arranging jobs, vendor subcontracts, and monetary payments for associates of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to influence and reward his support for legislation beneficial to ComEd.

The fallout from the scandal continued with the conviction of four former ComEd executives and lobbyists, dubbed the 'ComEd Four,' in May 2023. This group included former CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist Michael McClain, former executive John Hooker, and consultant Jay Doherty, who were found guilty on multiple counts related to the bribery scheme and falsifying records. Subsequent legal developments saw a federal judge grant a partial retrial on some bribery counts in March 2025, influenced by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed federal bribery law, though other convictions, such as conspiracy and falsifying records, remained intact. Despite the partial retrial, sentencings proceeded for the convicted individuals. In July 2025, Anne Pramaggiore received a two-year prison sentence and a $750,000 fine, while John Hooker was sentenced to 18 months. Michael McClain also received a two-year prison sentence in July 2025, and Jay Doherty was scheduled for sentencing in August 2025.

Parallel to addressing its legal challenges, ComEd has been actively investing in its infrastructure and adapting to the evolving energy landscape. The company has focused on grid modernization, clean energy integration, and customer affordability. In 2021, the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) was enacted, which has significantly influenced ComEd's operations, including requiring nuclear plants to provide customer credits when energy prices are high. In December 2025, ComEd announced that over $803 million would be returned to residential and commercial customers in the form of bill credits during the first five months of 2026, a direct result of the CEJA's Carbon Mitigation Credit program.

Affordability remains a key focus, with ComEd launching a new Low-Income Discount (LID) program on January 1, 2026, offering percentage-based discounts to qualifying customers to help manage rising energy supply costs. The company also continues to offer various financial assistance and energy efficiency programs, connecting hundreds of thousands of customers to over $108 million in support in 2025. Looking ahead, ComEd filed its second multi-year grid plan (MYGP) with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in January 2026, proposing over $13 billion in investments for 2028-2031. This plan aims to strengthen the grid against extreme weather, meet increasing energy demands from electric vehicles and data centers, and expand access to clean energy technologies, with the ICC expected to review the plan throughout 2026.