ComEd had its best reliability performance on record in 2009, delivering electric service to customers 99.9 percent of the time, with fewer outages recorded than at any other time.

"ComEd's reliability performance is a tremendous milestone for customers and reflects the dedication and skill of our workforce," said Anne Pramaggiore, president and chief operating officer, ComEd. "I credit our nearly 6,000 employees for this record-setting 2009 performance. Their hard work and commitment to our customers during difficult storms and day-to-day conditions resulted in our customers experiencing fewer outages than ever before."

ComEd employees were able to achieve this performance milestone while also improving the company's safety record. ComEd system improvements resulted in:

• Customers experiencing half as many service interruptions in 2009 (an  average of one interruption) as compared to 1998 (more than two  interruptions). 
• Power was restored more than an hour faster than in 2008 - which also  represented a nearly 60 percent improvement since 1998.

"We have invested more than $6 billion since 2001 to expand and upgrade our delivery system," said Terence Donnelly, executive vice president of operations, ComEd. "Our employees continue to find innovative and efficient ways to reduce power outages to our customers."

As one example, he pointed to a $26 million effort to proactively replace and reinforce more than one million feet of underground cable across the ComEd system. This effort included use of an innovative new silicone injection technique that strengthens the cable and can add 20 years to the life span of existing cable.

"We completed more reliability work than originally planned in virtually every area of the service territory," Donnelly said.

The utility also maintains a robust preventive maintenance program that includes vegetation management to protect electrical lines from tree contact, system engineering to achieve optimal equipment operations and regular visual inspections of above-ground electrical lines - all of which contributes to reliable delivery of electricity.