State of Illinois announced that Illinois secured 14.9M in competitive federal grant funding from the US Department of Transportation’s FY22-FY23 Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. The Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), in its role as the Illinois Climate Bank, was chosen to receive the $14.9M to support the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Illinois. The proposed project, “The State of Illinois Community Charging Program,” aims to advance community-based transportation efforts across Illinois and prioritize equity in the clean energy movement. The statewide initiative is a joint effort between the Illinois Climate Bank as well as local and regional partners, serving 273 project sites (144 of which are located in or in close proximity to disadvantaged communities). The funds will support construction of 845 Level 2 EV Charging stations, and 36 DC Fast Charge stations. Of the total $18.7M project investment,

• 43% will be allocated for disadvantaged community projects.

• 63% will be designated to dense urban communities with a high percentage of multi-family housing, as well as rural communities and small towns.

The new funding for EV charging infrastructure bolsters the State of Illinois’ previous efforts towards a clean energy future. Considerable progress under the Pritzker Administration includes the 2021 signing of the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which places the state on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2045 and 1 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030.