EV Readiness program helps local governments
plan for transition to EVs in Illinois
ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus today recognized a
diverse group of communities completing a program designed to help
prepare them to accommodate the growth of electric vehicles (EVs)
and EV infrastructure. Through their completion of the EV Readiness
Program, 12 local governments are the latest to receive support
that allows them to develop permitting, safety plans and community
engagement strategies so that EV use is made accessible to all.
“Expanding EV adoption is key to a cleaner future in Illinois,
which is why ComEd is working with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
and partners across the region to support communities for the EV
transition,” said ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones.
“Through the EV Readiness Program, cities and counties are
developing a foundation to increase EV access for their
communities, which will in turn lower emissions, and enhance air
quality and boost transportation around the region. We congratulate
these latest graduating communities for their work to create a
cleaner and more sustainable future.”
The EV Readiness Program was launched by ComEd and the Caucus in
2022 to help prepare municipalities to accommodate the growing
number of EVs in Illinois, with more than 100,000 currently
registered in Illinois, and the vast majority of them in ComEd’s
northern Illinois service territory. EV adoption is expected to
increase in the future, as the state of Illinois, through its
Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), has set a goal of getting 1
million EVs on the road by 2030.
“EV Ready Communities leverage their unique strengths and
authorities as local governments to drive EV adoption and
accelerate deployment of EV charging infrastructure,” said Kevin
Burns, Mayor, City of Geneva, Illinois, and Chairman of the
Executive Board and Environment and Energy Committee of the
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. “The thoughtful planning and
actions we take at the local level complements the knowledge and
innovation that Argonne National Laboratory, ComEd and our industry
partners contribute at the regional and national level.”
A diverse mix of 12 communities becomes the second cohort to
graduate from this program during a ceremony held at the U.S.
Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont,
Illinois.
“These municipalities and counties are significantly
contributing to our nation’s goal of a net-zero economy by 2050,”
Argonne Director Paul Kearns said. “Argonne partners with
industry and all levels of government to deploy innovations that
drive U.S. prosperity and advance our national security. We’re
thrilled to see these local communities leading the transition to a
clean-energy future.”
This year’s graduating communities follow last year’s inaugural
graduation and range from large urban cities to suburban
communities, with representation from north, central, south and
west sides of the region. The latest communities to demonstrate EV
readiness are:
- Aurora
- Batavia
- Bensenville
- Chicago
- DuPage County
- Elgin
- Glencoe (upgraded to Silver status for additional EV readiness
training)
- Hickory Hills
- Kane County
- Montgomery
- Richton Park
- Wilmette
The EV Readiness Program is guided by a comprehensive EV
Readiness Checklist of 131 possible municipal actions to
demonstrate preparedness for EV integration. To earn the title of
EV Ready Community, local governments must reach "Bronze" level
designation on the checklist by completing 16 Bronze requirements
and earning 30 points of their choice on the checklist. Communities
pursuing advanced zoning, permitting, and new construction actions
can obtain either Silver or Gold status.
“Through our Climate Action Implementation Plan, we set a target
to reduce transportation GHG emissions by more than 28% by 2030,
and through the EV Readiness program, we are well on our way,”
said Sarra Hinshaw, Sustainability Manager for Kane County.
“Working with ComEd to undergo the fleet electrification assessment
and with extensive support from the Caucus throughout the EV
Readiness training program, we now have the knowledge, plans and
policies in place to support community-wide growth in EV charging
and electrify the county’s own fleet.”
Glencoe is the only community in the EV Readiness Program to
‘level up’ from Bronze to Silver status by pursuing additional EV
readiness actions, including participating in ComEd’s recently
launched Fleet Electrification Assessment. This comprehensive
assessment helps communities and other commercial customers plan
the transition to an all-electric fleet, providing the customer the
opportunity to assess proper vehicles for their fleet, to plan and
determine charging infrastructure needs, to measure total cost of
electrification and emissions reduction, and to find information
about ComEd and federal and local incentive programs they may
qualify for. With ComEd’s assistance, numerous EV Readiness
communities have participated in the free assessment, including the
Village of Glencoe, Kane County, and the Village of Montgomery.
“In Richton Park, participation in the EV Readiness program
enabled us to update our zoning code and permitting processes,
making it easier for residents and business to install EV chargers
and transition to electric vehicles,” said Rick Reinbold, Mayor
of Richton Park. “We are proud to report that, as we worked
through the program, the Village has seen a 56 percent increase in
electric vehicle adoption, a testament to the support we have
received from the Caucus and ComEd to help us lay the foundation
for expanded EV integration.”
“The EV Readiness Program has helped align city actions related
to electric vehicle infrastructure and planning to the city of
Elgin's adopted 2024 Strategic Plan which includes a focus on
environmental stewardship,” said Elgin Director of Public Works,
Aaron Neal. “Our participation in the program is a significant
milestone in our continued journey providing Elgin residents,
visitors and municipal fleet users with access to clean, electric
transportation options.”
“As part of Chicago’s ambitious Climate Action Plan goals to
reduce transportation carbon emissions, we are actively preparing
for the increase in EVs and the necessary infrastructure to support
them,” said Chicago Department of Environment Commissioner and
Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar. “Through our
participation in the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus' EV Readiness
Program, we are working across departments and agencies to help
transition Chicago residents and our own City fleets to EVs, while
working to streamline the process for public charging
infrastructure deployment.”
Past participation in the EV Readiness program, with nearly 30
communities enrolled so far, has proven to help communities
increase EV registrations, while also helping them develop and
qualify for additional funding opportunities at the federal and
local levels. Communities like University Park and Skokie have
qualified for EV grant funding and have undertaken significant
public and private fleet charging expansion programs, which are
helping to create better EV access as well as economic development
opportunities for their residents.
In response to the rise of EVs in the region, the EV Readiness
program was developed by a coalition of over 70 regional partners
including local mayors, managers, and other local government staff
members, as well as representatives from councils of governments,
regional planning organizations, Argonne National Laboratory, EV
charging station companies, IBEW (International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers), and ComEd.
The EV Readiness Program is one example of significant
investments that ComEd is making to support customers and
communities in the transition to EVs. Earlier this year, ComEd
launched over $90 million in EV rebate funding, to support
residential as well as business and public sector customers with
expanding EV use, by funding fleet EVs and EV charging
infrastructure projects. To ensure equitable access to EVs, ComEd’s
programs reserve over 50 percent of all funding for equity
investment eligible communities (EIEC), as defined by the state of
Illinois, or for low-income customers. Information on eligibility
can be found at www.comed.com/clean
To learn more on the benefits of EVs, and how ComEd can support
your electrification project, please visit
www.comed.com/cleanenergy. To learn about participating in the EV
Readiness Program, please visit the Caucus' website.
About ComEd
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.
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