Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $114 Million In Federal Funding For EV Charging Stations Across Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $114,471,562 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout the Chicagoland area. The recipients of this funding are the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
IEPA’s project Equitable Future-Ready Electrification Infrastructure for Green Heavy-duty Transportation (E-FREIGHT) in Illinois will receive this funding to deploy 14 publicly accessible vehicle charging stations along priority freight corridors across the Chicago metropolitan region. These stations will feature battery storage and clean on-site power generation.
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus represents 34 local governments in Illinois and will receive nearly $14.5 million for its Aggregated Community Charging for the Chicago Metropolitan Region project. With this funding, 196 EV charging stations with 389 ports will be installed, including one compressed natural gas fueling station. The proposed stations will be located at publicly accessible facilities, including municipal buildings, parking facilities, and near healthcare, multi-family housing, and recreational centers.
“As we electrify transportation across the country, we must strive to build smarter, faster, and more accessible charging infrastructure in Illinois,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced funding solidifies our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, transitioning to clean power sources, and combatting the climate crisis. I’ll continue working with Senator Duckworth to maintain Illinois’ position as a leader in electric vehicle infrastructure.”
“Expanding access to reliable charging stations for electric vehicles helps lower fuel costs and reduce emissions across our state,” Duckworth said. “I look forward to continuing to work alongside Senator Durbin and the Department of Transportation as we keep working to further establish Illinois as a leader in electric vehicles and help make EV use more accessible for all Illinoisans.”
Durbin and Duckworth have continuously supported federal investments in electric vehicle technology, having fought to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes more than $7 billion for battery manufacturing and research and $7.5 billion to build a network of EV charging stations. Last year, Durbin and Duckworth announced $15 million in federal funding from the DOT for Charge Up Chicago! Chicago Community Resources and Charging Infrastructure Implementation (CUC) project.
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