ComEd, partners receive $500,000 award from DOE for electric vehicle adoption plans
Northern Illinois got a boost last week for charting its electric vehicle and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, thanks to a $500,000 award issued by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to ComEd and three partners.
One of seven selected nationwide, the award will benefit efforts by ComEd, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the Respiratory Health Association (RHA), and Argonne and Oak Ridge national laboratories to research and model the types and scale of action needed to lower carbon emissions in the transportation sector. That research will run for the next three years, diving into strategies beyond electrification, including different modes of travel.
The award was made through the Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) initiative.
“The C2C award reinforces the collaborative efforts by ComEd and our partners in the region as we seek to remove barriers to adoption of EVs and other zero emissions technologies,” ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones said. “This competitive award will help accelerate the growth of all-electric vehicles across northern Illinois, which will in turn improve air quality in our communities, particularly those most impacted by pollution, and bring us closer to achieving our climate action goals.”
According to studies conducted by the RHA, as many as 400 premature deaths occur in Illinois each year as a result of air pollution from diesel engine emissions. Nationwide, studies have found transportation to be the largest single source of planet-warming gasses, while in northeastern Illinois, transportation accounts for 32 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Through support to community-driven projects, the C2C program is meant to drive innovation in electrification of transportation, buildings and industry, with a particular focus on utilizing regional climate expertise.
“Reducing air pollution from motor vehicles will benefit everyone who breathes—not just people living with asthma and other chronic lung diseases,” Joel Africk, president and CEO of RHA, said. “The positive impact of this project will be felt throughout the Midwest, and particularly in poorer communities where vehicular traffic is disproportionately heavy.”
