The suburbs require an investment to extend power to bigger houses that require more energy. ComEd also reached out to faster-growing communities, like Mokena and Orland Park, to see where service was most needed. The utility devised a system to identify towns that needed the most attention. We have seen an improvement. ComEd officials said the systemwide numbers are proof the utility is on the right track.
Outages are fewer with shorter durations.
In 1998, customers averaged 2.2 outages per year, each lasting 260 minutes. Last year, the numbers dropped to 1.46 outages and 145 minutes, respectively. But Cohen believes there is a problem with those promising statistics. They are being compiled independently by ComEd without outside scrutiny. There is some anecdotal evidence, but it's hard to tell.