ComEd Program Helps Over 100,000 Northern Illinois Small Businesses Cut Costs and Save Energy

ComEd’s Small Business Offering has helped businesses save $262.8 million in annual energy costs, while receiving $607 million in system upgrade incentives

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of small-business owners challenged by rising operational costs, ComEd is celebrating an important milestone: More than 100,000 small businesses across northern Illinois have participated in free facility assessments that identify opportunities to save both money and energy.

In recognition of National Small Business Week, May 3-9, ComEd joined small-business owners and local elected officials to call attention to the small-business offering available through the ComEd Energy Efficiency (EE) Program. Through these offerings, which include facility assessments and incentives to offset the cost of energy-efficiency improvements, businesses have saved an average of $262.8 million in annual energy costs while receiving $607 million in incentives.

“ComEd recognizes that small businesses are the engines of every local economy,” said Gil Quiniones, ComEd President and CEO. “By providing programs that help manage energy use and energy costs, we are offering small-business owners opportunities to redirect more of their profits toward their employees and the neighborhoods in which they operate.”

Since 2015, both small businesses and public-sector customers have saved 2.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy, which helps avoid nearly 1.7 billion pounds of carbon emissions that lead to climate change. This is the environmental equivalent of planting more than 750,000 acres of trees or removing 176,000 cars from the road for one year. Qualifying small-business and public sector customers include restaurants, grocery stores, churches, public libraries and police and fire stations with less than 500 kilowatts of peak energy demand. A full list of qualifying small businesses and the EE offerings available to them can be found at ComEd.com/SmallBiz.

“Congratulations to ComEd on reaching this remarkable milestone of supporting over 100,000 small businesses across northern Illinois,” said Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah. “This achievement not only highlights ComEd’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency but also underscores the vital role small businesses play in our communities. Support for small businesses is more important than ever. Programs like ComEd’s provide essential resources that help entrepreneurs and local businesses reduce costs, increase resilience, and continue serving as engines of economic growth and opportunity throughout the region.”

“ComEd’s free facility assessments have been an essential resource for helping small businesses across northern Illinois, especially in the Pilsen community, pinpoint ways to not only reduce energy usage but also save money and mitigate harmful environmental impacts,” added Illinois State Senator Celina Villanueva. “I’m proud to stand with ComEd as they celebrate this milestone, and I will continue supporting energy initiatives that place affordability for businesses, families and whole communities at the forefront.”

Small businesses face financial pressures that are fundamentally different from households and large corporations. Many small-business owners require more immediate cash relief to offset thinner profit margins and limited financial reserves. Reliable reductions in energy costs help small businesses better plan for future expansion in resources and staff.

“Energy efficiency is the fastest, most cost-effective way to reduce emissions and lower energy bills, and ComEd’s programs have proven that investing in efficiency delivers real, measurable benefits for Illinois businesses and communities” said Brian Imus, Executive Director with Illinois Green Alliance. “Just as exciting, these programs are building the foundation for Illinois’ clean energy economy by creating demand for local contractors, supporting workforce development, and making it easier for businesses to invest in high-performance buildings”

While the benefits of the ComEd EE Program are felt across northern Illinois, Chicago’s Pilsen community has seen significant participation, with nearly 400 businesses participating in EE upgrades since 2015. These businesses have received $3.6 million in incentives, over $1.6 million in annual cost savings, and saved 14 million kWh of energy. These energy savings are the environmental equivalent of planting 4,900 acres of trees or taking 1,156 cars off the road for a year.

“Pilsen’s business community is resilient, innovative, and deeply committed to our neighborhood’s future,” said Javier Yanez, executive director & co-founder, Pilsen Chamber of Commerce. “The energy savings and incentives provided through ComEd’s program give our local businesses real financial relief, allowing them to reinvest in their storefronts, their employees, and the cultural vibrancy that makes Pilsen unique.”

The Tonk BBQ, an 18-year-old restaurant located along the 18th Street business corridor in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, is one of the businesses that have taken advantage of ComEd’s Small Business offerings. In 2025, The Tonk underwent a facility assessment that recommended the installation of new LED fixtures and improvements to its walk-in cooler and freezer.

“I encourage all Chicago businesses to take advantage of the ComEd EE Program,” said Beth Wagner, owner, The Tonk BBQ. “Whether you are concerned about your ComEd monthly bill costs or the long-term effects energy use has on the environment, this assessment of how your business uses electricity is a win-win. The improvements our ComEd representative suggested were easy to install, and we saw immediate and noticeable savings on our monthly energy bills. Thank you ComEd for providing savings that helped us keep our utilities affordable so we could concentrate on our small business, our customers and our community.”

ComEd’s small-business offerings are part of the award-winning ComEd Energy Efficiency Program. Since 2008, this program has helped hundreds of thousands of customers save more than $13 billion on their energy bills, along with 112 billion kWh of electricity. The program has also helped avoid nearly 84 billion pounds of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, which is the equivalent of removing 9 million cars from the road for one year or planting more than 38 million acres of trees. For information on all the energy-efficiency offerings ComEd has for families and businesses, visit ComEd.com/EnergySavings.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving almost 11 million customers through six fully regulated transmission and distribution utilities — Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO, and Pepco. ComEd powers the lives of more than 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, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.