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Exelon Unit ComEd Powers Up 345-kV Transmission Substations on PJM Grid

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Exelon's (EXC) Commonwealth Edison unit has successfully energized two 345-kilovolt transmission substations to its grid, making it possible to interconnect 550 megawatts of wind power in Illinois's LaSalle and Woodford counties, it said in a statement on Thursday.

The launch will help to counter rising prices on the PJM grid that serves 65 million people in 13 states and the District of Colombia, due to rising demand for power and consequent grid imbalances.

ComEd said it is committed to investing more in the grid to increase capacity and make possible the integration of more renewable generation.

The new substations will receive power from two yet-to-be-built wind farms in the two counties, the 150-MW Osagrove Flats project and the 400-MW Panther Grove project which will come online between end 2026 and early 2027.

The new substations will increase the reliability of the transmission network as a whole as greater demands are placed upon it, the statement said.

The substation projects were started in 2023 and finished four months ahead early, featuring 16 new transmission towers, more than 58 miles of fiber and half a mile of new conductor. Further enhancements will be added to the project during its operation.

ComEd has connected more than 1.7 gigawatts of distributed energy resources in Illinois along with software control systems, sensors and smart inverters.

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