EV readiness initiative launched by ComEd, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
ComEd, a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corp., this week announced the official launch of a joint initiative with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to help northern Illinois communities meet the expected demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure.
The utility and the caucus on May 3 unveiled a local government EV Readiness Program with a ComEd investment of $225,000 that will support program development, consulting and personnel costs to educate municipalities across the ComEd service region over the next two years. The program aims to remove barriers to EV adoption by guiding local governments to enact policies and practices that can accelerate safe and effective transportation electrification across the region, ComEd said in a statement.
“As communities prepare to implement new clean energy technologies, ComEd stands ready to assist them to accelerate decarbonization and improve air quality for all residents,” ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones said. “We are thrilled to partner with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to deliver the EV Readiness Program, which will help our partners across the region advance the goals of the new clean energy law, CEJA, and help to create cleaner and safer communities for the future.”
Under the EV Readiness Program, qualifying local governments will receive free technical assistance and training in a variety of areas in order to be named an “EV Ready Community,” a designation based on actions taken in several categories to influence EV adoption and deployment of EV charging infrastructure.
There are several categories, including a commitment to EV readiness; zoning and planning; permitting; inspection and safety; utility engagement; municipal fleets; new construction; and parking and access, among several others, according to ComEd, which said local governments will receive support on how to remove barriers to adoption, facilitate charging infrastructure, and expand markets for EVs as they seek to earn the EV Ready Community designation.
“Working in collaboration with ComEd, we will support local governments across northern Illinois to build capacity and develop plans to successfully make the shift to electrified transportation,” said Kevin Burns, mayor of the City of Geneva and chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee and EV Readiness Advisory Committee.
The EV Readiness Advisory Committee, a diverse group of more than 50 local transportation and sustainability experts representing public and private sectors, is providing guidance to the caucus on developing the EV Readiness Program.
“We know that communities have been looking for guidance, and the EV Readiness Program will prepare them to move swiftly on new investments coming forward as a result of clean energy policy advancements made at the state and local levels,” Burns added.
Additionally, the program is designed to assist communities that may eventually seek state and federal funds earmarked for the development of EV charging infrastructure. Such funds are slated to be released later this year as part of a $5 billion investment authorized by Congress to help states expand EV charging infrastructure and accelerate the adoption of EV technology, ComEd said.
Communities interested in becoming EV Ready may submit a letter of interest now, and applications will be reviewed for the first cohort, which is set to start this fall. The program is available for communities across ComEd’s service territory, including the 275 communities that comprise the caucus’ membership.
ComEd noted that the EV Readiness Program builds upon its ongoing collaborative efforts with the caucus to help communities integrate new clean energy technology, such as through their Powering Communities grants initiative, which has supported more than $1 million in public safety and electrification projects across the Chicago area.
For instance, Village of Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert said the town received two Powering Safe Communities grants to install level-two ChargePoint EV charging stations located in its downtown area for use by residents and visitors at Village Hall, the Mount Prospect Public Library, restaurants, and local businesses.
“The support we received from ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has been critical for bringing some of Mount Prospect’s first EV charging stations online to help residents adopt electric vehicle technology and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,” said Hoefert.
