Monday, March 11, 2013
Looks like this utility pole could use some reinforcement.
Have you noticed this leaning utility pole at Laraway and Schoolhouse Roads? On Sunday I called ComEd to report its condition. I was told twice before concerned residents had filed a report about the precarious nature of this pole—once in January and again in February. Do you think it's a safety hazard? Tell us in the comments. Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites:
Saturday, February 16, 2013
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…
Saturday, December 22, 2012
ComEd is reporting four outages. The New Lenox commercial district is impacted.
ComEd is reporting a power outage in New Lenox. At 10 p.m. today, the company's Outage Map shows 1,366 homes and businesses lost power. The power is out on the north side of Route 30 from just west of Lincoln-Way Central to past Aldi. It includes Charley Horse, Walmart, White Castle and Culvers. ComEd trucks were spotted just West of Lincoln-Way Central High School. Patch is checking to see what happened. Patch Facebook readers comment on the outage:
Monday, November 12, 2012
Veterans and needy families can tap into a ComEd grant to help pay utility bills.
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Monday, November 12, 2012
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Decreased rates and increased taxes had some readers' heads spinning. Here's a brief explanation.
Starting this month, utility tax increases approved by the village go into effect, and they're expected to add about $70 in annual costs for the average resident. But didn't we just get lower electricity rates from the village? The recent decrease in electricity rates and increase in electricity taxes had some readers' heads spinning. "They state that the electrical aggregate will save every taxpayer in New Lenox hundreds of dollars, but they don't state they want 2/3 of the savings," one reader said. "We were suckered into voting to approve lower electrical rates JUST so we could have them raised for this project," another said. So were we lied to? Suckered in? No. Here's a timeline of what happened and how much money we're still …
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The village reached an agreement with Direct Energy to purchase electricity at a bulk rate, and now Mokena and Frankfort, among others, are exploring the option.
Following the village's agreement with Direct Energy to get lower electricity rates for residents, Mayor Tim Baldermann said other municipalities would start lining up to find similar deals next year. And that's exactly what's happening. In April, voters gave New Lenox the authority to seek lower electricity rates for residents at an aggregated price. Only 19 communities in northern Illinois did so, with New Lenox and Crest Hill the only two in Will County. But now there are loads more expected to join the trend, including Frankfort and Mokena. Choosing an electric provider besides ComEd has been an option for Illinois residents to do on their own since 1997, when electricity was deregulated, but few have done it. This year, a change in …
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Residents who wish to select their own electricity provider must opt out by today, though even if you join the village's new program you can drop the service at no cost later on.
Residents who want to opt out of the village's new electricity agreement must post-mark a form to do so by today, though Mayor Tim Baldermann warns that finding bigger savings than the village did could be tough. Earlier this month, the village of New Lenox entered an agreement with Direct Energy to provider cheaper electricity rates to residents at an aggregated cost, simply like buying in bulk, and the savings could be about 25 percent annually. People who don't do anything will be automatically enrolled in the program, but the only change they'll see is a lower electricity bill; ComEd will still handle billing and maintenance. However, if a resident wishes to find his or her own electricity provider, a form must be mailed to Direct …
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
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 …
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The village partnered with Crest Hill to use Direct Energy as its new provider, which will charge 5.89 cents per kWh.
Residents and small businesses can expect to see more savings on their electricity bills starting in October. The Village of New Lenox announced today that, along with the City of Crest Hill, it has partnered with Direct Energy as its new electricty provider. For the October 2011 through September 2013 billing cycles, New Lenox residents will pay 5.89 cents per kilowatt hour, exclusive of utility charges and taxes. Seniors are eligible for a discount at 5.79 cents per kWh, and Direct Energy also offers a renewable wind product for 6.19 cents per kWh. Currently, Excelon provides New Lenox's electricity through ComEd at a rate of about 7.8 cents per kWh. Public Works Supt. Ron Sly said the average homeowner should save about $174 each year. …
Monday, July 11, 2011
A storm that ripped through the area Monday morning left more than 10,000 customers in ComEd's Joliet region without power.
A storm that ripped through the region Monday morning left more than 10,000 customers in ComEd's Joliet region, which includes New Lenox, without power, according to the power company's website. Mokena police representatives could not immediately be reached Monday morning to discuss Mokena-specific damage reports. According to the National Weather Service forecast for New Lenox, the rest of the day will be partly sunny with the mercury hitting 90 and a heat index approaching 102 in the afternoon. This story will be updated as it develops. See the National Weather Service forecast for New Lenox See ComEd's outage map following the storm
Tim Pastern
11:06 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
It has been leaning for months, if not longer, and has been getting lower. The Comcast/ATT cables are now resting on wooden sign not too far from that corner. It's only a matter of time before that pole falls or snaps and 30K volts of power is now sitting on the ground. It's too bad that companies today are reactive instead of proactive. more ›