May 1
ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Program Saves $13 Billion
This week's top smart energy news, curated by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC).
Member News
ComEd customers in northern Illinois saved a total of $13 billion on their energy bills through the company’s ComEd Energy Efficiency Program. The ComEd Energy Efficiency Program has also helped customers conserve nearly 112 million MWh of electricity, resulting in the prevention of nearly 84 billion pounds of carbon emissions. This is the equivalent of planting 38 million acres of trees or removing nearly nine million cars from the road for one year.
Virtual Peaker this week announced its role in Newfoundland Power’s demand response initiative, TakeCharge Mysa Thermostat pilot, marking an expansion of Virtual Peaker’s work in Canada and a milestone for winter demand response in the province. Launched in December 2025, the pilot uses Mysa smart thermostats to shift residential electric space-heating load to off-peak periods during winter peak events.
The energy transition is pushing the grid to its limits. With the explosion of AI data centers and the rapid electrification of commercial fleets, utilities are facing unprecedented and unpredictable load demands. Building new transmission lines is no longer the sole answer; the future lies in grid-edge intelligence and harnessing the power of distributed grid assets.
Georgia Power is partnering with Kia Georgia in a landmark renewable energy and resiliency project at Kia Georgia’s West Point manufacturing facility. The project involves the integration of one of the largest behind-the-meter solar canopy systems in the Southeast. Developed by Vehicle Protection Structures in partnership with Kia Georgia, the project features 3.2 million square feet of hail protection canopies topped with solar panels capable of generating up to 10 MW of electricity.
Get Your Weekly Edition
Industry News
Electricity prices have risen dramatically across the nation over the last two years. New Jersey customers recently faced the steepest price increase nationally – a 16.9% surge, or roughly $260 per household – against a national average of 6%, according to data from Democrats on the Congressional Joint Economic Committee.
Last year was a huge one for renewable energy around the globe – but nothing showed up quite like solar power. This week, energy think tank Ember released its review of where the world’s electricity came from in 2025, and it’s full of wins for clean energy. Last year marked the first time global renewables generation exceeded coal, with solar, wind, hydropower and biofuels delivering just under 34% of the world’s power to coal’s 33%.
A new time-of-use (TOU) rate will be available to Seattle City Light residential customers starting in May 2026. “This is the first time that residential customers broadly have been on a TOU rate. We piloted the program previously,” said Jenn Strang, Media Relations Manager at the Washington State public power utility. The TOU rate has three pricing periods.
Revenue per kilowatt hour for electricity – a proxy for retail rates – rose 9% on average this February compared to the same month last year – rising by 26.3% in Virginia, 21.9% in Ohio and 19.5% in Pennsylvania, according to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Total average revenues per kWh increased by 9.0% from last February, to 14.36 cents/kWh in February 2026,” EIA said.
