ComEd’s Response to Tribune investigation: “Hey, it’s legal”
ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore’s response to the ChicagoTribune’s investigation of ComEd’s charitable giving attempts to redirect attention away from the clear problem the investigation highlights: ComEd’s use of ratepayer money to make charitable contributions that advance ComEd’s political agenda.
ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore’s response to the Chicago Tribune’s investigation of ComEd’s charitable giving attempts to redirect attention away from the clear problem the investigation highlights: ComEd’s use of ratepayer money to make charitable contributions that advance ComEd’s political agenda.
It is particularly important to scrutinize this practice now, while ComEd’s parent company Exelon uses its considerable political clout to push legislation in Springfield that would force ratepayers to further subsidize Exelon’s nuclear power plants even though their Illinois nuclear fleet is profitable.
Shareholders, not ratepayers, should pay for ComEd’s charitable giving and Illinois law should change to ensure ComEd and Exelon can no longer use ratepayer money in service of a political agenda that runs counter to ratepayer interests.
Authors
Abe Scarr
State Director, Illinois PIRG
Abe Scarr is the director of Illinois PIRG. He is a lead advocate in the Capitol and in the media for stronger consumer protections, utility accountability, and good government. In 2017, Abe led a coalition to pass legislation to implement automatic voter registration in Illinois, winning unanimous support in the Illinois General Assembly for the bill. In 2019, he co-authored "Tragedy of Errors," a report documenting decades of mismanagement in the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program, and has built a large coalition to end wasteful gas utility spending. Before moving to Illinois in 2014, Abe worked as the state director for ConnPIRG, where he helped pass a landmark solid waste and recycling law. He also serves as a board member for the Consumer Federation of America. Abe lives in Chicago, where he enjoys biking, cooking and tending his garden.