ComEd and Pivot Energy Activate Community Solar Farm in Kankakee
Kankakee, Ill. (Aug. 3, 2023) – ComEd and solar developer Pivot Energy today announced the completion of a new community solar project in Kankakee, Ill., which will enable residents to save money on their ComEd electric bills while supporting the expansion of renewable energy and Illinois’ ambitious clean energy goals.
“ComEd and Pivot are proud to play leading roles in the growth of community solar in Illinois,” said Scott Vogt, vice president of Strategy and Energy Policy at ComEd. “We now have more than 80 community solar projects in our northern Illinois region, enabling a growing number of customers to easily access renewable energy and contribute to a healthier environment.”
The Pivot Community Solar Farm is located on Court Street in Kankakee and is one of 20 Pivot projects under construction in Illinois. Annually, this project will generate over 990,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy, enough to serve the needs of nearly 100 average Illinois homes.
“We are pleased to help make the ComEd region one of the nation’s fastest growing markets for community solar,” said Liz Reddington, vice president of Project Development, Pivot Energy. “We expect to have completed four community solar projects in northern Illinois by the end of this year, contributing to ComEd’s efforts to increase access to reliable, clean energy and help its customers save money on their energy bills.”
Enacted in 2021, Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) increases support for renewable energy to reach 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. It creates nearly 9,800 megawatts of new solar capacity and increases funding for the Illinois Solar for All program — which gives lower-income customers access to solar power –from $30 million to $70 million annually. By the end of 2023, ComEd expects to have more than 100 community solar projects in northern Illinois serving approximately 25,000 customers.
Community solar allows all ComEd customers to participate in the benefits of clean solar energy without installing solar panels of their own. Participants subscribe to a solar energy “farm” of solar panels owned by an independent developer and earn credits on their monthly ComEd bills for their portion of the energy produced by the project. Energy generated by the community solar project flows to ComEd’s grid and becomes part of the overall energy supply. ComEd has recently launched a community solar calculator, which provides estimated costs and savings. www.ComEd.com/SolarCalc
The multi-year grid and rate plans ComEd filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) earlier this year support this rapid expansion of renewable energy and help ensure equitable access to the benefits of clean energy under CEJA. The plans align with ComEd 2030, the company’s recently announced vision for a carbon-free energy future that will benefit all communities and meet customers’ changing needs for the rest of this decade and beyond.
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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.