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Exelon, ComEd Crews Assist in Puerto Rico Recovery

Employees to work in Puerto Rico over 60 days as part of a larger Exelon response

As Puerto Rico continues to restore its energy system following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, ComEd is sending crews and equipment to assist in the restoration of power. ComEd is part of a larger response by Exelon utilities to restore infrastructure destroyed during the hurricane in September.

Fifty ComEd linemen, as well as support personnel, will leave for Puerto Rico in early February. Trucks and other equipment are being sent ahead. Crews are expected to be in Puerto Rico for an extended time working on restoring power to residents and businesses.

Southwest Exelon Pavilion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ComEd’s support comes following a request by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) asking for mainland companies to provide assistance. The 144 employees of Exelon, the nation’s largest utility company by customer count, will join a contingent of nearly 1,500 restoration personnel from Edison Electric Institute (EEI) member companies. EEI immediately began coordinating with PREPA, FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the logistics of adding crews, equipment and materials from across the country to the massive power restoration effort that began after Puerto Rico was hit by two hurricanes in September. Exelon utilities have been coordinating closely with EEI and authorities to prepare for the mutual assistance effort. ComEd and its Exelon sister utilities – BGE, Delmarva Power, Atlantic City Electric, PECO and Pepco – are part of a contingent of more than 1,500 restoration personnel from EEI member companies.

“This effort is very personal to many of our customers and employees who have family and friends in Puerto Rico,” said Terence R. Donnelly, ComEd Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our teams are eager to help and look forward to working together with other utility workers to repair the electric infrastructure and restore power.”

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately four 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, Twitter and YouTube.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A critic of mainstream news media bias, Hanania advocates for peace & justice for Israel & Palestine, & the empowerment of Arabs in America.

Click here to listen to Ray's Political Podcast.

Hanania's columns are archived on his personal website at RayHanania.com. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Hanania is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group which provides communications services to governments and private businesses, and hosts writing training workshops, and publishes books.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

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