From State Senator Craig Wilcox:
I am pleased to announce that over $803 million will be returned to ComEd customers under the framework established through 2021 legislation which requires nuclear plants to pay customers some returns when energy prices are high.
ComEd residential and commercial customers can expect to benefit from these funds in the form of bill credits, with the average residential customer expected to receive approximately $13 a month, depending on usage, over the first five months of 2026.
The funds are being returned as part of a Carbon Mitigation Credit (CMC) program that provided price support to select Illinois nuclear units that were scheduled to be closed. Importantly, that 2021 law protected ComEd customers from over-paying in the event that federal policymakers also stepped up to support nuclear generation.
The 2021 law created the CMC program to support carbon-free nuclear generation facilities and in return, provide an adjustment to ComEd customers if energy prices exceed the agreed-upon price. The CMC program is in effect for five years, through 2027, and can result in a credit or a charge depending on energy prices.
| The savings from the $803 million in credits reported on the nuclear generators’ tax returns will automatically reduce what customers pay, and no action is required by customers to receive the credit. While future prices cannot be forecast with certainty, the CMC program is expected to continue providing credits, based on market prices, for at least another year, helping to offset supply cost increases and support families during periods of economic uncertainty. |
