Lake Meadows Shouldn’t Be Left Behind

Lake Meadows Shouldn’t Be Left Behind

ComEd customers across northern Illinois have seen their electric bills steadily rise over the past several years—and more increases are certain to follow. Those higher rates are supposed to support a reliable, modern electric system for everyone. But for thousands of residents at the Lake Meadows Apartments in Bronzeville, that promise has not been fulfilled.

For more than two years, Lake Meadows residents have been waiting for ComEd to correct an obvious infrastructure shortfall: undersized transformers that prevent their access to air conditioning during the hot months of summer. While customers across the region pay the same delivery rates, Lake Meadows residents are not receiving the same level of service those rates are meant to guarantee.

ComEd has acknowledged the problem, but its response has been insufferably slow and woefully incomplete. Only one of the nine buildings is slated to finally obtain a properly sized transformer. The remaining eight buildings still lack a clear timetable for addressing ComEd’s historical underinvestment and ongoing service inadequacy. That uncertainty is unacceptable for a community of more than 3,000 residents—many of them seniors—who are simply asking for the same basic service others take for granted.

Equally concerning, ComEd has declined to provide temporary power during the upgrade process. As a result, the property manager must shoulder the cost of diesel generators just to maintain livable conditions. That is not how a regulated monopoly should operate. If customers are paying for a reliable system, the utility should bear the cost of correcting its own deficiencies.

This is not just about one property. It is about fairness. Every ComEd customer pays into the system, and every community deserves to see those investments reflected in safe, dependable service. Bronzeville—and the largely African American residents of Lake Meadows—should not be left waiting while others move ahead.

ComEd has the resources, all coming from ratepayers that include the underserved residents of Lake Meadows. What it needs now is urgency and accountability. Set a firm schedule to upgrade all nine buildings. Provide temporary power during the work. And demonstrate, through action, that every customer receives the full value of the service they pay for.


disclaimer:  The views expressed in this column are not those of the Citizen Newspaper Group, Inc. staff or any of its affiliates.  


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