Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) (left) and ComEd president Terry Donnelly during a hearing on Thursday

Chicago would be hard-pressed to find a new electric utility provider that can match the reliability, responsibility and affordability of Commonwealth Edison, leaders of the company argued during a three-hour hearing on Thursday.

But the company needs to step up its commitments if it wants to keep its monopoly over the city’s electric grid, aldermen said.