Downed Electrical Wire Sparked Riegel Road Fire

ComEd crews arrived around 7 a.m. Saturday to fix the problem.

Downed Electrical Wire Sparked Riegel Road Fire

ComEd crews arrived around 7 a.m. to fix the problem.

A downed electrical wire sparked a fire alongside Riegel Road just north of 191st Street early Saturday morning. ComEd workers responded to the scene to fix the problem around 7 a.m.  Stay connected with H-F Patch by liking us on Facebook Thanks to Homewood resident Tom Ising for the tip and video.

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Patch on Politics

ComEd Wants You to Pay More for Electricity You Used Last Year

The utility wants lawmakers to amend a 2011 rate-hike law to allow the utility to retroactively collect money for electricity already used.

 The Illinois Senate Executive Committee unanimously approved a request by ComEd and Ameren to "clarify" a 2011 law that allowed the utilities to raise electricity rates, Illinois Public Radio reports. The clarification would allow the power companies to retroactively charge higher rates for the electricity you've already used, potentially raising up to $70 million for ComEd, according to Sun-Times Media. The 2011 law changed the formula used to determine charges. But the utilities say it didn't work as intended. They say regulators aren't letting them charge what they need. Now the companies are back, asking the legislature to pass another law, clarifying the old one.  (Says) ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore: "Without it we are stalled in these…

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Tom S

9:42 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013

Under the Smart Grid law passed in 2011, ComEd committed to spend $2.6 billion over 10 years to modernize the electric grid in Northern Illinois. The ICC's interpretation of the law reduced funding to complete the modernization program. As a result, ComEd faced a reduction in funding of nearly $100 million per year in 2014 and beyond. Without the additional funding, ComEd stated it could not …   more ›

Power Outages Hit H-F

Severe storms have left portions of Homewood and Flossmoor without power, including the Homewood Library, throughout the afternoon.

Updated at 7 p.m. Homewood's Village Hall currently has power which means tonight's board meeting will still be in session. Updated at 6:30 p.m. WLS is reporting 26,000 people in the south suburbs were affected by the power outages.  Updated at 6:00 p.m. As reports of power outages throughout Homewood and Flossmoor are beginning to appear on the H-F Patch Facebook page, the Village of Flossmoor just issued a release in response to the issue: A power outage in Flossmoor has left approximately 600 households and a critical Village facility without electricity after this morning's severe storm. The following areas affected are:  Old Flossmoor from Argyle north into Homewood west to Bruce, all of the Park neighborhood south to Golfview, …

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Tony Dauginas

12:25 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012

I find out online this morning that a lot of the problem was with ComEd power transmission equipment just north of the Homewood Metra Station. Of course the first thing ComEd thinks is that someone who has no power will do is go online. The only advise they gave me was to conserve the battery power left on my cell phone.   more ›

Driver Strikes Utility Pole at Ashland and Pine

ComEd is currently working to restore service to the affected area.

A woman crashed her car into a utility pole near the intersection of Ashland and Pine earlier this morning. Homewood Fire Lieutenant Bill Wright says the woman was driving southbound on Ashland when her vehicle veered into the northbound lane (for an unknown reason). According to Wright, the woman swerved out of the way to avoid hitting an oncoming driver. Her transit was stopped by a utility pole, which she split in half, knocking down live wires in the process. Despite the dangerous situation, the driver was able to climb from the wreckage and wait nearby as help arrived. Wright says she was generally unharmed from the accident. Ashland is still closed from Maple to Ridge Road. ComEd trucks are currently working to repair the pole and …

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UPDATE: Transformer Fire Forces Riegel Road Closure

Riegel is currently blocked off from Idlewild to 191st Street as ComEd employees continue to work on the lines.

A transformer fire in the rear of the 19000 block of Loomis prompted a response from firefighters earlier today, according to Homeood Fire Lieutenant Bill Wright.  Readers are telling Patch the incident also sparked several small grass fires. Homewood Firefighters have since turned the scene over to ComEd, but Riegel Road, from Idlewild to 191st is still blocked off. A spokesperson for ComEd said they've been working on repairs since 10:30 a.m. According to him, 50 customers were without power earlier. That number as since decreased to 9 customers without power, according to ComEd.  Several of our readers, however, are reporting intermittent power supply as of 2:40 p.m. ComEd says they hope to be done with repairs before the day's end.

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Power Brokers: Flossmoor Voters OK Electricity Vote

Despite low voter turnout, Flossmoor residents powered up at the polls, giving the village the go-ahead to seek lower electricity rates. Check these results and more election news, on Homewood-Flossmoor Patch.

Why Flossmoor Should Care About Electrical Aggregation

The Village of Flossmoor will hold a special forum tonight on a referendum they hope can cut electricity bills for homes and small businesses.

At 7 p.m. tonight, the Village of Flossmoor will hold a public forum at Village Hall to discuss electrical aggregation for residences and small retail businesses within village limits. OK, that was super boring. Let's try that again. At 7 p.m. tonight, the village will gather people together to talk about a plan they hope could cut the electricity bills for your homes and businesses. Much better. Before Flossmoor joins New Lenox and other towns that have electrical aggregation, voters must approve a referendum that's going on the March 20 ballot. Here's a quick look at the issue. State law changed last year to allow villages and counties to shop around for better electricity prices than ComEd offers. If ComEd offers the best price, nothing…

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Juvenal

4:09 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012

Imagine if they spent as much time looking for ways to save in their own budget, which would lower tax bills and fees much more than any electricity switcheroo will. However, the only way Wachtel, Braun & the rubber stamps deal with any budget issue is to "enhance revenue" Haven't heard much about layoffs or pay freezes from them.....   more ›

ComEd Customers Used All-Time Power High During Heat Wave

Between the heat wave and the intense storms the Southland has experienced this summer, the last few weeks have been busy for ComEd.

Southland citizens had a rough time trying to cool down during last week's heat wave. Just how hot was it?  "Customers were using an all-time high of power," said ComEd spokeswoman Arlana Johnson. "It is the most power used at one time since August 2006." According to a ComEd press release, customer demand reached an a peak usage milestone late Wednesday afternoon. However, according to Johnson, this intense usage has yet to negatively impact the ComEd power grid. “Our system is performing really well and we didn't experience any issues," said Johnson. "We put extra crews on notice in case there were any problems. We had 350 crews available, which is 100 more than on a typical summer day." According to Johnson, a far bigger issue is the …

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Larry

12:06 pm on Sunday, October 2, 2011

Ambit Energy has a fixed rate plan at 6.9/kWh or a month to month plan at 7.2/kWh and also a Certified Green plan. They offer a monthly budget plan for those who choose that option. Unlike some other suppliers Ambit Energy is based in the United States and thats where I would like to keep my money invested. http://www.swasso.joinambit.com   more ›