Nuclear Energy Information Service
Illinois' Nuclear Power Watchdog for 25 Years

ComEd Conservation Plan is Window Dressing

PRESS RELEASE

For release: Tuesday, July 14, 1998

For more information: David Kraft, (847)869-7650

COM-ED CONSERVATION PLAN DESIGNED TO SAVE 'BACON' MORE THAN KILOWATTS

EVANSTON-- An electricity conservation plan unveiled by ComEd today, and designed with the help of Illinois environmental groups is a lurch in the right direction, but is more a temporary band-aid and PR salve than a firm commitment to essential and sustained energy conservation programs, a ComEd watchdog group asserts.

"While we applaud ComEd for working with environmental groups to design these emergency plans for this summer, we are disheartened that ComEd still maintains its stiff opposition to supporting long-term, meaningful energy conservation programs," notes David A. Kraft, director of the Evanston-based Nuclear Energy Information Service.

"We can only conclude that they still maintain the same old ComEd attitude towards fixing problems that destroyed their nuclear reactor fleet: 'use band-aids to get through the crisis, do it on the cheap, then do what you feel like afterwards.' This is the same penny-wise, pound foolish corporate attitude that destroyed nine of their 13 reactors through lack of maintenance funding. It may get us through this summer; it will not help in the long run, and will only further damage an already crippled and non-competitive company," Kraft says.

ComEd has agreed to implement a number of energy conservation and efficiency programs designed in cooperation with the Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest (ELPC) to help get through any future summer heat waves without the need to resort to "rolling blackouts." However, when ComEd was pressed by ELPC to stop lobbying against H.B. 1227 and 1228 -- bills designed to create long-term funding for both energy efficiency and renewable energy development - - ComEd balked.

"Until ComEd embraces a long-term commitment towards energy efficiency, and stops its opposition towards meaningful efficiency programs, environmental groups cannot give them much credit for doing more than what is expedient, and saves their PR bacon," Kraft concludes.

One objection ComEd has had to funding energy efficiency programs is the expense. But environmental groups are quick to attack this as a specious argument.

"When ComEd can 'reward' the two outgoing architects of their current nuclear reactor fiascos with severance bonuses nearly twice the amount of the company's entire conservation budget, you have a serious reality orientation problem here," Kraft points out. It has been reported that outgoing officers James J. O'Connor and Samuel Skinner received severance packages totalling nearly $4 million.

"Further, the amounts of money appropriated in the proposed bills are to be collected from ALL Illinois utilities, not just ComEd. The pain is spread around. For this Company to desperately call on its customers to conserve and become more efficient during an energy crisis, and then ACTIVELY thwart meaningful, long-term programs designed to prevent such crises in the first place smacks of self-serving hypocrisy," Kraft says.

At a recent public hearing before the Illinois Legislature's Joint Energy Committee, David Stahr, director of Illinois Citizen Action, made a very important example of ComEd's disingenuous attitude.

Stahr passed out energy efficient light bulbs to all legislators. He pointed out that ComEd spent nearly $100,000 last spring for its lobbyists to thwart energy efficiency legislation. Had the same amount been spent of buying and GIVING AWAY these light bulbs to customers (as they are proposing to do in today's announced plan), over 9 million kwh of electricity could be saved over the lifetime of the bulbs, at a cost of about 1 CENT/kwh.

Stahr then reminded the Committee that ComEd boasted/complained that during the recent energy crisis, ComEd had to buy power at $5/kwh, costing the company millions of dollars.

"Which was the better investment?" Stahr asked Committee Chair Philip Novak.

"If ComEd or any other utility are serious about creating long-term commitments towards energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy, they will find the Illinois environmental community ready to go to bat with them before the public and in Springfield," asserts Kraft.

"But, if all they want is to have a few enviro's on stage with them to look good, that's 'green- washing.' We wont be used that way; and the public deserves better, both from its utilities, and from its Legislature.

"As was stated at the Legislative hearings in Chicago last week by numerous sources -- city managers, environmental and consumer groups alike -- if we do not have electric utilities in Illinois committed to providing the essential energy services that our health, safety and economy require and deserve, then it is incumbent on the Legislature to bring in utilities that CAN do the job, by moving up the dates allowing customers to choose.

"The ball is now in ComEd's court: perform, or get out of the way before the Illinois economy goes belly-up," Kraft concludes.

Nuclear Energy Information Service is an Evanston-based, environmental, energy education organization founded in 1981 to provide the public with credible information on nuclear power and radiation hazards, and viable alternative energy choices to the continued use of nuclear power.

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