Tag Archives: Chicagoland

Smart Meters Reportedly Catching Fire, Naperville Residents React

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Reports of at least three of ComEd’s smart meters overheating and starting fires in customer homes have begun circulating around the Chicago area. Naperville opponents of the city’s smart meter program are using this as leverage to highlight the meters’ safety issues. Continue reading here.

An image of a damaged smart meter combusting due to overheating. Reports are that three such smart meters have done caught on fire in the Chicagoland area. The Naperville government states that the smart meters are a necessary city-wide electrical upgrade and that the meters are safe.

Metra Upgrades Coming to a Train Near You

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Five months after its largest fair increase in the company’s history, the Metra will begin rehabilitating and upgrading its passenger cars with amenities such as electrical outlets and remodeled bathrooms. Continue reading here.

CEO Alex Clifford shows off the new electrical outlets in the Metra rail cars as part of a new rehab program being performed at the Metra 47th street shop. | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times

Blogging Moms Building Cyber Security Industry

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According to Nielsen research, Moms represent 19.2 percent of the online population and 1 in every 3 bloggers identify themselves as a mother. Some Chicagoland mothers are using their blogs to share their ideas about cyber security for the home, and these blogs are becoming major forums for sharing a variety of quality information. Continue reading here.

Alicia Peiffer, a 28-year-old mom blogger and marketing professional, (with sons Lucas, 2, left, and Jacob, 3) is taking part in a cybersecurity study, "Keeping Up with the Digital Joneses" to learn more sophisticated ways of securing her and her family's personal information online. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times

ComEd Aiming for 4 Million Smart Meters in Next Decade

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Original Post (4/24/12): Smart meters connect wirelessly to the internet, allowing individuals to check their power usage, manage their consumption, and apply for rebates. Over the next decade, ComEd is looking to replace 4 million meters across Chicagoland and Northern Illinois with these smart meters. However, no one will be able to opt out of the program. Continue reading here.

Update (5/1/12): ComEd is seeking a 97 cents/month rate increase starting in 2013 to help fund its plans for modernizing its electric grid. The Illinois Commerce Commission must still approve the increase, however. Continue reading here.

This is an example of a Smart Meter management screen that lets users see their power consumption and trends and apply for rebates to get savings. Over the decade, ComEd plans to switch Chicagoland to smart meters. Photo from treehugger.com

Job Seekers Try to Keep Up with Technology

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As companies receive more applicants for job postings, they seek to relieve stress stress on HR departments by turning to online job boards and digital submissions. So how is it working out? Continue reading here.

An unknown career fair. As job applicants increase, so do the number of headaches for HR departments sifting through thousands of resumes. Photo from http://careerviewmirror.wordpress.com/tag/career-fair/