Background
ComEd’s Switch from Account Numbers to Electric Choice IDs
ComEd is replacing its 20+ year old billing system (CIMS) with a new billing system called Customer Care and Billing (CC&B). This implementation is scheduled to take place across February 2024. With CC&B, ComEd will replace the use of the ComEd Account Number with a Choice ID Number. The Choice ID Number is 10 digits.
Due to this overhaul, ComEd’s Community Solar Portal will need to be down for a short period of time in February to allow for data transfers to occur. This outage is currently planned for 2/15/2024 -2/19/2024.
Timeline for March 2024 Quarterly Report
As usual, for the March 2024 quarterly reporting period Approved Vendors will have to update all subscription data with ComEd by end of day 2/29 in order for the data in the report pulled on 3/1 for the Program Administrator’s quarterly verification to be up to date. While this process is unchanged from previous quarterly reporting periods, the ComEd switch from account numbers to Electric Choice ID Numbers will create an outage for the ComEd Community Solar Portal leading up to these important reporting dates. Approved Vendors should read through this entire announcement in order to adequately prepare for this outage and ensure that subscription levels for any projects due for quarterly reporting in March 2024 are input correctly prior to the 2/29 deadline. Additionally, Approved Vendors should make sure to stay up to date on any communications from ComEd.
It is the Approved Vendor’s responsibility under the REC Contract to ensure that subscription levels are correctly input into the ComEd Community Solar Portal as of 2/29 and that subscription reports provided to the Program reflect what is in the utility portal.
Key Dates
- 2/14 – Last day to access ComEd Community Solar Portal prior to planned outage
- 2/15-2/19 – Planned outage of ComEd Community Solar Portal
- 2/20 – Planned return of ComEd Community Solar Portal access
- 2/29 – Deadline for subscription data to be updated
- 3/1 – Program Administrator pulls reports from ComEd for March 2024 quarterly reporting period
- 3/10 – Updated subscriber reports due to Program Administrator, which should reflect subscribers as of 3/1
Details on Switch Over and Access to Subscriber Portal
The ComEd Community Solar Portal is planned to be inaccessible from 2/15-2/19, coming back online on 2/20. This means that Community Solar Approved Vendors will be able to access the portal and add or change subscriptions from now until 2/15 and then again after the outage concludes from 2/20-2/29 leading up to the 2/29 deadline for the March 2024 quarterly reporting period. ComEd will inform Community Solar developers via email when the portal is back up after this outage period.
Who does this impact?
While the switch to Electric Choice ID Numbers impacts all ComEd customers, the outage of the ComEd Community Solar Portal should only impact Approved Vendors that have Community Solar projects due for quarterly reporting in March 2024 (and thus need to update their subscription levels for their Community Solar projects prior to 3/1).
What should impacted Approved Vendors do to prepare?
To prepare for this outage of the ComEd Community Solar Portal, Approved Vendors can work to ensure that all subscribers are submitted into the portal for the projects that need to provide quarterly reports in March 2024 as of 2/13, before the ComEd Community Solar Portal will be taken down for updates.
At this time, there is no reason to believe that the planned outage of the ComEd Community Solar Portal will go beyond the planned 2/15-2/19 timeframe, but out of an abundance of caution, Approved Vendors should prepare to have all subscription data input into the ComEd portal by 2/13. The Program Administrator will utilize ComEd subscription reports as of 3/1, per usual protocol for the quarterly reporting process.
When Approved Vendors report any active subscriber to the Program Administrator (either previously active or newly active), the Program Administrator will request the last 5 digits of the Electric Choice ID Number in addition to the last 5 digits of the original account number. Please be prepared to provide the last 5 digits of the choice ID for any and all active subscribers.
Where can I find more information on the switch from account numbers to electric choice IDs?
- More information for ComEd customers
- Any questions related to this switch to Electric Choice ID Numbers can be directed to [email protected]
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]
