DuPage County business leaders gathered on Wednesday, April 10th at The Westwood in Lisle for a roundtable discussion on mental health in the workplace, employee wellness, and generational differences. The discussion is part of an ongoing series hosted by The Hon. Deborah Conroy, DuPage County Board Chair, and Choose DuPage, designed to provide an opportunity for the business community to connect, learn, and discuss important topics affecting DuPage County.

Gina Sharp, President of Linden Oaks Hospital and System Behavioral Health Service Line for Endeavor Health led the discussion along with Dr. Lindsey Harrington, PsyD.  

Key Takeaways From the Discussion:

• It all goes back to establishing a strong connection between your employees and the purpose and why of your organization. Employees need to feel intrinsically connected to their workplace.
• We really have to think about mental health and the workplace differently. It’s not something that can be done as an afterthought – it has to be something we are engaging in as a preventative measure, and incorporated into all aspects of things we do. As you are making business decisions, think about mental health – for your staff, yourself, and your customers. And how that can be enhanced or potentially harmed by decisions you make.
• Your most important resource is staff – you can’t run without them. And you need to “service” them like you would an engine. Review your employees’ workload regularly and make sure they have time to breathe and think about their work. Otherwise, they become a cog in the wheel. Or they burnout.  
• It all starts with leadership because everyone is going to mirror their behavior. For example, if you are a leader that goes on vacation and checks email and responds every day, think about the message that sends your employees. It says that you don’t prioritize taking a mental break from work, you think others should work on their vacation, and you must not trust your employees to do their work while you are gone.
• We shouldn’t be [only] trying to make people happy. There is a lot that you can do to make people happy, but it doesn’t necessarily give them a sense of fulfillment or connection to their workplace. It’s about making them feel valued and seen.
• Everyone communicates differently – you can’t take one single approach to connecting with employees and assume it will work. It’s like Swiss cheese, there are holes. You have to keep layering the cheese on to close those holes. It’s called the Swiss cheese model of communication. A message needs to be communicated 7-10 times before it really gets through. And the ways you need to communicate that message should be different for different people.

Resources:

• Linden Oaks Behavioral Health
• DuPage County Health Department Crisis Services
• Mental Health America

ComEd launching $87 million in new rebates to incentivize expansion of electric vehicle charging, bring greater access to zero-emissions vehicles for communities throughout the region

CHICAGO (February 8, 2024) – As part of a larger investment to accelerate an equitable adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in northern Illinois, ComEd is launching two new business and public sector EV rebate programs. New programs will provide a total of $87 million this year to help reduce upfront costs of all-electric commercial and public sector fleet vehicle purchases and incentivize the buildout of more business and public charging across the region.

ComEd today joined a diverse mix of environmental, community, industry, and municipal stakeholders in announcing its newest EV rebates from the annual Chicago Auto Show, held at McCormick Place. The two new EV rebate programs will begin accepting applications on February 15, 2024, with funds awarded on a first come, first served basis. New EV rebates for businesses and public sector customers follows the recent launch of the EV Charger and Installation Rebate Program for residential customers, for which customer can apply for by visiting ComEd.com/Clean.

“Working with our partners in northern Illinois, ComEd is committed to helping customers benefit from zero emissions vehicles, which can significantly reduce pollution and enhance air quality for all residents across our communities,” said Erica Borggren, ComEd Vice President of Customer Solutions. “Through new targeted incentives, we are aiming to accelerate the transition toward all-electric fleets, cars, buses, and trucks, while at the same time catalyzing the buildout of a regional network of public EV charging to serve more customers – a key factor to growing EV adoption equitably.”

New programs launching in 2024 include a total of $87 million for business and public sector EV initiatives. This year, $57 million in rebates will be available for business and public sector EV purchases, and $30 million in rebates are available to support electrical infrastructure “make ready” upgrades needed for the installation of publicly available Level 2 and Level 3 charging stations. Level 2 chargers can charge an EV battery 6 to 8 times faster than charging from a wall outlet, often referred to as a Level 1 charger. Level 3 chargers, often referred to as Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) can charge a typical EV battery in less than one hour.

More than half of all rebate funding is reserved to help boost EV investment in equity-eligible communities, and with higher levels of rebates reserved for customers located in, driving, or doing business in low-income and equity-eligible communities. 2

“Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, the state of Illinois is leading an EV revolution, delivering incentives and enabling significant expansion of our EV charging network so more residents can take advantage of environmental and air quality benefits of zero emissions vehicles,” said Megha Lakhchaura, EV Officer for the state of Illinois. “ComEd’s new EV programs complement state and federal incentives designed to boost EV adoption and charging buildout on a larger scale. This means more school districts, transit agencies, local governments and small and large businesses and their surrounding communities can access the benefits of EVs.”

Specifically, funding amounts and eligibility for the two new ComEd rebate programs for business and public sector customers to support large-scale EV adoption are as follows:

• A total of $57M is available in 2024 for EV Purchase Rebates
  Rebates between $5,000-$180,000 each, with funding not to exceed the cost of the vehicle. This includes funding for light duty, medium duty, and heavy-duty fleet vehicles, transit buses, and K-12 school buses. The rebate can also be applied retroactively in some cases; ComEd will accept applications for vehicles purchased as far back as June 1, 2023.

• A total of $30M is available in 2024 for Make-Ready Electrical Infrastructure Rebates
  Rebates of up to $8,000 per Level 2 EV charger plug or port (with a 10-port maximum) or up to $1,000 per kW for infrastructure serving Level 3 chargers with a minimum of 50kW (maximum rebate of $500,000). Rebates can cover project make-ready costs including, but not limited to, contractor labor, conduits, cable, fasteners and breakers. Rebates will not cover the cost of the physical charger. This rebate can also be applied retroactively in some cases; ComEd will accept applications for qualifying projects completed as far back as June 1, 2023.

New investments to accelerate EV adoption in the region complement statewide plans to boost EV adoption in Illinois – a key focus as part of the state’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which sets a goal of putting 1 million EVs on state roads by 2030. EV ownership has increased in recent years, with 80,000 vehicles driving in northern Illinois today, up from just 17,000 in 2019. ComEd programs build on state and federal programs designed to reduce upfront costs to vehicle purchase, and to reduce range anxiety through the expansion of a network of charging serving more communities.

The new rebate programs announced today are geared toward business and public sector customers, including:

• Those who are considering electrifying their fleet to improve their environmental footprint while reducing their fuel and operating costs.
• Those who are looking to offer charging access to their customers and communities.

The programs will accept applications from a broad range of business and public sector customers, including small and large businesses, local government, school districts, and transit authorities.

“ComEd’s investments to expand EV adoption will support our regional efforts to address climate change and enhance air quality by reducing tailpipe emissions,” said Kevin Burns, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Chairman of the Executive Board, Environmental Committee and Energy Subcommittee. “New rebate programs from ComEd will 3

complement the work our local governments are doing to develop infrastructure, policy and to lay the framework for an equitable EV future here in northern Illinois.”

“With dangerous air pollution still a regional challenge and with the burdens of asthma weighing more heavily on lower income communities, this new EV program will help reduce air pollution from the largest source in northern Illinois and make owning a clean, zero-emission vehicle more affordable precisely where they can provide the greatest health benefits,” said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs at Respiratory Health Association.

EVs provide numerous benefits for customers. Not only do they offer fuel and maintenance cost savings and performance benefits, but communities can experience broad environmental improvements from reduced tailpipe emissions. Additionally, electrifying transportation—including cars, trucks, school buses and public transit fleets—can create tangible health benefits for all communities and families across northern Illinois, especially communities which have traditionally borne the brunt of climate change and air pollution.

“The Environmental Law & Policy Center is especially encouraged that school districts can get ComEd assistance with electric school buses and charging equipment,” said Susan Mudd, Senior Policy Advocate at the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “This is an equity issue as more low-income families rely upon bus transportation to safely get their children to and from school than higher-income families. We know that electric school buses provide a zero-emission ride to and from school, which means children are not exposed to asthma-inducing fumes. The quieter electric buses also mean students arrive at school calmer and more ready to learn.”

“ComEd’s ongoing commitment to advancing electrification is vital for reducing carbon emissions, improving health, and creating financial benefits for all communities in Illinois,” said Nate Baguio, Senior Vice President of Commercial Development at Lion Electric. “As a regional partner of ComEd’s, we recognize the importance of clean energy transportation programs, which are further amplified by state and federal investments such as the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act (REV), Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and EPA Clean School Bus Program.”

“The launch of ComEd’s new EV rebates will make a big difference in helping low-income and environmental justice communities play a direct role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Billy Davis, Co-Founder, General Manager, Jitney EV, LLC. “By reserving half of all funding for equity eligible communities, ComEd is enabling a more just and equitable transition toward EVs and will incentivize more sustainable investment and cleaner air for the communities that need it most.”

ComEd’s new rebates take into consideration the large upfront costs associated with commercial grade electric vehicle purchase. ComEd also intends to work with local auto dealers to establish a process in 2024 that seeks to enable pre-approved rebate vouchers that can be applied at the point of purchase.

“ComEd’s new EV rebate programs mark a significant step in advancing sustainable transportation. Through providing substantial rebates for residential, commercial and public 4

sector charging, and fleet electrification with a focus on addressing financial barriers and communities in northern Illinois most impacted by pollution, ComEd demonstrates its dedication to enhancing accessibility to electric vehicles and beneficial electrification,” said Samantha Bingham, Coordinator of the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation. “The Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation applauds ComEd’s rebate initiative and its broader efforts in advancing energy sustainability in the U.S. by facilitating clean fuel adoption and accessible charging infrastructure.”

New investments to support EV adoption at scale builds on existing ComEd programs to assist customers with electric fleet and charging infrastructure planning. This includes customized fleet assessments, as well as the recent launch of a new ComEd Fleet Toolkit at www.comed.com/EVbiz. The Fleet Toolkit can be used to develop a comprehensive estimate of the cost of converting a fleet, and to determine the optimum rate plan, charging times, and charging equipment for a fleet electrification project of any size. The Toolkit also contains a “EV Load Capacity Map” to help customers plan where to install charging infrastructure, based on estimated available load capacity.

To learn more about how ComEd is helping customers plan their journey to an EV, visit www.comed.com/ev. For more information on eligibility and to apply for new EV rebates on or after February 15th, visit www.comed.com/clean.

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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 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, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

DuPage County business leaders gathered on Wednesday, January 24 at CBRE in Oak Brook for a roundtable discussion on workforce development. The discussion is part of an ongoing series hosted by The Hon. Deborah Conroy, DuPage County Board Chair, and Choose DuPage, designed to provide an opportunity for the business community to connect, learn, and discuss important topics affecting DuPage County.

Laticia Holbert, Workforce Development Manager for ComEd led the discussion along with Lisa Shvach, Executive Director of workNet DuPage.

Some of the key takeaways include:

• Workforce development is a compilation of comprehensive, focused actions to build economic and human capital in order to create business and community sustainability, remove barriers to decrease unemployment and underemployment and ensure a highly skilled, diverse workforce. Human resources (HR) is the division of a business responsible for finding, recruiting, screening, and training job applicants and also handle employee compensation, benefits, and terminations.
• Employers need to be thinking about how young people are selecting work, because it’s so different than past generations. Younger generations need to see a career path laid out, they want to know what you’re doing for the community, for sustainability. It’s not just about money, they need to feel good about their work.
• Partnering with other stakeholders in workforce development is critical. When you are creating workforce programs, utilize local workforce organizations and educational partners to help support the program. ComEd partners with organizations like Hire360, Chicago Corporate Coalition, Dawson Technical Institute, Big Shoulders Fund, Chicago Builds and Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.
• On-the-job training (apprenticeship models) is going to be more important than ever for the development of future workforce.
• When recruiting employees, look for potential, not just skillsets. Managers may be tempted to fill a position quickly with someone who already has a skillset. But long-term workforce development comes from investing the time into someone with the right potential.

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Learn more about DuPage County’s workforce ecosystem.

In recognition of ComEd’s successful efforts to provide industry- and nation-leading reliability for the more than 9 million people it serves in northern Illinois, PA Consulting, a consultancy that’s bringing ingenuity to life, yesterday awarded the electric company the 2023 ReliabilityOne® Outstanding System Reliability Award, as well as the 2023 ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Midwest Region.

“It wasn’t that long ago that most ComEd customers expected power outages and considered them commonplace,” said ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones. “Over the last decade, however, our investments in grid modernization have resulted in significantly fewer and shorter outages, allowing our customers to benefit from nation-leading reliability. This award is a testament to those smart grid investments, and it’s a credit to the 6,300-plus employees who work around the clock to deliver reliable, resilient power to families and businesses across northern Illinois.”

All utilities operating electric delivery networks in North America are eligible for consideration for the ReliabilityOne® award. PA Consulting selects eight metropolitan service regional awards including Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Plains, Mountains, West, Southeast, and Southwest. The ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award is given to the regional award recipient that has demonstrated sustained leadership, innovation and achievement in the area of electric reliability.

“In the face of increased extreme weather and natural disasters, Illinoisans deserve reliable, uninterrupted service to keep the lights on at home or at work—and that’s exactly what ComEd provides,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Being recognized as the most reliable utility company in America is a well-deserved honor and we are thankful for their continued dedication to the 9 million Illinoisans they serve.”

Investments in the power grid continued to pay reliability dividends for ComEd customers as the electric company delivered record reliability in 2022. Since smart grid investments began, overall reliability has improved more than 80 percent. In that time, ComEd has avoided more than 19 million power outages for customers, saving more than $3.3 billion in outage-related costs. In 2022, 85 percent, or nearly 3.5 million ComEd customers, experienced zero or one interruption in service.

In addition to the reliability awards, ComEd President and COO Terence R. Donnelly will be receiving the Outstanding Contributor to Reliability award. Donnelly has been COO throughout the grid modernization work at ComEd and has led efforts to improve reliability for ComEd customers.

“The complete turnaround of ComEd’s reliability over the past decade and a half has been nothing short of astonishing,” said Donnelly. “Thanks to our prudent investments in grid modernization powered by the most talented employees in the business, outages are the exception, not the expectation. But our work to create a more reliable, resilient power grid is not done, and I look forward to the many customer benefits that will spring from our planned investments and implementation of advanced technologies that will ensure our grid can power a cleaner, more electrified future.”

As extreme weather events, electrification and other ComEd customer needs increase, the need to invest in reliable infrastructure grows. ComEd filed multiyear grid and rate plans that outline grid work required to support the expansion of renewables such as solar and wind power and beneficial electrification for ComEd customers while maintaining and improving the system to continue the level of reliability customers have come to expect. The plans support the goals of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) that Illinois enacted in 2021, including ensuring that under-resourced communities benefit from the clean energy transition.

“Grid sustainability continues to be a major issue that the industry must take more seriously,” said Gregg Edeson and Derek HasBrouck, PA Consulting’s ReliabilityOne® Co-Program Directors. “This year we are celebrating utilities who are providing high levels of reliability and resilience while integrating clean energy assets and greater clean resource diversity into their operations. Congrats to ComEd for their clean energy efforts.”

“We extend our congratulations to ComEd for its recognition in exceptional reliability performance and pioneering grid modernization initiatives,” said Michael Fassnacht, President & CEO of World Business Chicago. “This accomplishment is a testament to the diligent efforts of ComEd’s leadership and workforce, who have made substantial advancements in providing reliable electricity to millions across northern Illinois, a crucial factor in our region’s continued drive for sustainable growth.”

“Power reliability is vital to companies making location decisions, and ComEd’s ability to provide clean, reliable power is essential in bringing economic growth and jobs to Illinois,” said Intersect Illinois CEO Dan Seals. “We commend ComEd on its commitment to grid modernization and reliability, which contributes to Illinois’ position as an attractive place to do business.”

The ReliabilityOne® award is given annually to utilities that have excelled in delivering reliable electric service to their customers. All utilities operating electric delivery networks in North America are eligible for consideration for the ReliabilityOne® award. Selection of provisional recipients is based primarily on system reliability statistics that measure the frequency and duration of customer outages. After provisional recipients are selected, each company undergoes a certification process, which provides an independent review and confirmation of the policies, processes and systems used to collect, analyse, and report a company’s reliability results. This year’s National Award winner was identified for the 23rd Annual ReliabilityOne Awards Program based on its record-setting reliability and innovation in bringing clean energy solutions to customers.

After provisional recipients are selected, each company undergoes a certification process, which provides an independent review and confirmation of the policies, processes and systems used to collect, analyse and report a company’s reliability results.