ComEd-backed 'smart-grid' plan wins Illinois Senate approval
BY DAVE MCKINNEY Springfield Bureau Chief/dmckinney@suntimes.com March 14, 2013 2:43PM
Updated: April 16, 2013 4:12PM
In a blow to Gov. Pat Quinn, the Illinois Senate Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation sought by Commonwealth Edison to boost utility rates by $70 million annually as part of a push to relaunch the stalled modernization of its electrical grid. Springfield Bureau Chief David McKinney explains on the Politics Blog.
The bill, sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), passed the Senate by a 44-9 vote, with one member voting present. It now moves to the House. Before the Senate vote, the plan was altered slightly to require that ComEd complete its so-called smart-grid modernization within a year, instead of 18 months, as had been spelled out in an earlier version of Cullerton's bill.
