ComEd announced the expansion of its 345,000-volt (345 kV) Elmhurst transmission substation, a critical infrastructure investment that will prepare the region for future power needs and increase resiliency of the transmission system. Construction is now underway, with the project expected to be complete by December 2025. Investments to expand the substation will support continued dependability for existing customers and will allow for future capacity upgrades to be made to foster continued economic and business growth for the region.

“ComEd is proud to maintain and grow the most reliable grid in the country, which requires proactive planning to meet the future power needs of our customers,” said Mark Baranek, senior vice president technical services at ComEd. “Investments like the expansion of the Elmhurst substation will ensure the grid is primed to support local business growth for many years to come.”

This substation is one example of how ComEd is taking action to modernize the grid to support increasing demand as a result of the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), residential heat pumps and solar deployments in Illinois. Following the upgrades to this substation, ComEd will be able to increase high-voltage transmission capacity in the region as demand continues to grow. 

“Through all areas of its business, ComEd is looking at ways to prepare the grid for the future, and that includes looking at the potential for business growth in our communities,” said Greg Bedalov, president and CEO of Choose DuPage. “The expanded capabilities of this substation will continue to make DuPage County an attractive location for large, commercial and industrial businesses who depend on a reliable and resilient grid to maintain their operations.”

“This investment in critical infrastructure means DuPage County residents can now benefit from the increased resiliency of the transmission system and find their electric power is more reliable, especially during high-use periods and inclement weather. It’s important that these upgrades take place now, while also providing for future enhancements based on the residential and business needs of our community,” said DuPage County Board Chair, Deborah Conroy.

Engineering and design for this $93 million project began in 2023 and construction is currently underway. Construction of this substation is being completed by a diverse, local firm, Ruiz Construction Systems. Customers currently served by this substation will not experience interruptions in power delivery due to construction.

“We are proud to be part of the team advancing technology and connectivity for northern Illinois,” said Gonzalo Ruiz, CEO of Ruiz Construction Systems. “As a long-time partner of ComEd, we are excited to work on another innovative grid project.”

Upgrades from this project will support increased connectivity to neighboring substations in northern Illinois, increasing the overall resiliency of the system. By increasing the number of connective pathways from substation to substation, ComEd is hardening the high-voltage transmission system to perform better during severe weather.

This project builds on ComEd’s commitment to maintaining nation-leading grid reliability. Since beginning its smart grid investments in 2011, ComEd has helped customers avoid more than 22 million outages and save more than $3.8 billion in outage-related costs.