ComEd's Mobile Command Vehicle Accelerates Storm Restoration
Take a Tour of the Mobile Command Center
Earlier this year, ComEd’s Emergency Preparedness and Area Restoration Teams celebrated the arrival of a new Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV), a 45-ft control room office on wheels that helps crews restore power to customers even faster during storms. With triple cellular connectivity, built-in power generation, full printer capabilities and up to 14 workstations, the MCV allows ComEd crews to conduct restoration work more quickly and efficiently.
ComEd deploys Mobile Command Vehicles to establish localized command and control, enabling the Area Restoration Team to dispatch crews to the areas hit hardest by storms. Up to 250 lineworkers are able to get their tickets, materials, maps and local guides directly from the MCV, which significantly reduces outage times for customers.
“This new high-tech MCV, which replaces our original mobile command vehicle, represents the latest step in our commitment to ensuring we are prepared to respond quickly and restore power effectively when it matters most,” said Vito Martino, vice president of Distribution System Operations and Fleet Operations at ComEd. “ComEd continues to deliver best-in-class reliability for our customers, with fewer customers experiencing outages and shorter outage durations. This MCV has the technology to operate the grid safely and effectively by allowing us to restore power with an onsite presence faster than ever.”
The MCV will be activated during intense storms when extensive crews are needed to repair damaged infrastructure in a centralized area. ComEd has collaborated with businesses and municipalities to set around 50 predefined basecamps where the MCV can be stationed during storms, allowing crews to receive more localized information from the MCV versus communicating with ComEd’s main Operations Control Center in Joliet, Illinois. Having outage tracking systems and connectivity near devastated areas is a major advantage to repairing infrastructure and restoring power more quickly, safely and efficiently.
Other command vehicles in ComEd’s fleet can take up to 90 minutes to set up for operations, while this new MCV can be set up in 10 minutes, saving valuable time for customers without power. The MCV can run on its generated power for up to three days, sustaining continuous real-time data, mapping and dispatching capabilities.
In addition to supporting local area restoration, the MCV can support restoration efforts with other utilities through mutual assistance. ComEd belongs to multiple regional and national mutual assistance networks that help utility and contractor companies support each other during extreme devastation.
In 2024, ComEd received national recognition for its mutual assistance response following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, deploying more than 340 employees to support restoration efforts in four states. ComEd can also receive this support from neighboring utilities and contractor companies when major storms hit northern Illinois, as field employees from Ameren Illinois and contractor groups across the Midwest supported ComEd crews during storm restoration last August.