ComEd, Community Leaders Celebrate Opening of First-of-its-Kind Energy Education Community Center in Chicago

Powering Lives Community Center in Avondale invites visitors to experience the future of energy through interactive exhibits

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ComEd joined members of the community today to celebrate the grand opening of a first-of-its-kind community center focused on energy education. The Powering Lives Community Center in Chicago’s Avondale community is a free and open-to-all facility that gives visitors a unique look into energy delivery and the grid today and shows customers ways they can save money and energy.

“The launch of the new Powering Lives Community Center in Chicago symbolizes our commitment to empowering our customers as we make the transition to a clean energy future here in Illinois,” said Gil Quiniones, ComEd CEO. “Here, visitors and students will receive a close up look at the evolution of the grid, and the work that’s underway to bring cleaner and more resilient energy to power the needs of our customers for years to come. This space was created for the community, by the community, and we hope that our customers from across the territory will take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn more about the future of energy.”

The state-of-the-art facility features a new hands-on exhibit, Our Energy, Our Future, which features technology for delivering energy to homes and businesses, education on energy efficiency, and a clean community of the future. In addition, the Powering Lives Community Center includes a home space that shows the energy consumption of a traditional Chicago bungalow, three STEM challenges, seven interactive kiosks and a meeting space for residents to host community events.

“Congratulations to ComEd on the redevelopment of the Chicago North headquarters which we are proud to have in the 40th district. The community resource center will be a valuable addition to our community that will enrich the lives of residents and all Chicagoans,” said Jaime M. Andrade Jr., Illinois State Representative.

The community center demonstrates ComEd’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity across its organization and within the Chicago communities it serves. The center is fully ADA-compliant, with exhibits available in both English and Spanish. Schools interested in booking fieldtrips for students grade 6-12 can visit ComEd.com/EducationCenters.

The community center is part of the newly constructed 104,000-square-foot ComEd Chicago North headquarters, an office for 600 ComEd workers who help ensure the delivery of safe and reliable energy for more than 1 million ComEd customers. The headquarters also includes a 65,000 square foot warehouse that is ComEd’s largest material storage facility.

ComEd started construction of Chicago North in 2018 to replace its previous 100-year-old building. The headquarters was constructed using energy efficient products and is LEED Platinum certified. A local Women and Minority Business Enterprise-certified business, Scale Construction, served as the general contractor for the project, and ComEd relied on woman- or minority-owned contractors for more than 50 percent of the project.

To showcase the history and culture of the 20 neighborhoods surrounding Chicago North, ComEd worked with 20 local non-profit organizations to curate artwork that represents these vibrant communities. The artwork is displayed throughout the three-floor office building and available for online viewing at ComEd.com/ArtGallery.

Last month, ComEd participated in the Chicago Architecture Center’s annual Open House Chicago where more than 700 community members got a first look at the new facility.

To learn more about the Powering Lives Community Center and ComEd’s other education centers, visit ComEd.com/EducationCenters and schedule a visit.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.