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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