From the Illinois EPA:

Illinois EPA Announces $12.6 Million in Grants for Public Light-Duty Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

Grants will fund 348 new EV fast charging ports at 87 Illinois locations

SPRINGFIELD —Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim today announced $12.6 million is being awarded to 10 applicants for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

The grants will fund 348 new Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports at 87 locations throughout Illinois.

The awards are based on a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued in the fall of 2022 seeking publicly accessible locations in the three priority areas outlined in the Volkswagen (VW) Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP).

These grants were made possible after the Pritzker Administration committed to focus Illinois’ remaining VW Settlement allocation on electric transportation and infrastructure.

“Here in Illinois, we are proud to boast a nation-leading EV ecosystem—from EV manufacturing and tax credits for companies and customers alike to a rapidly-growing EV charging infrastructure,” said Governor JB Pritzker.

“Today, I couldn’t be happier to announce that, through our remaining VW Settlement money, we are dispersing $12.6 million to build 348 new fast charging ports up and down the state. This doesn’t just expand access for residents and visitors—it also brings us one step closer towards our mission of achieving 100% clean energy by 2050.”

“We are excited to see EV charging infrastructure expanding throughout Illinois, providing much needed access, and complementing the State’s goals to expand EVs in Illinois,” said Director Kim. “We look forward to announcing additional opportunities to fund EV charging infrastructure through the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which will further expand accessibility for Illinois residents and visitors.”

The Illinois EPA is funding DCFC light-duty charging stations at publicly accessible locations (shopping centers, retail stores, gas stations, hotels, etc.) in the three priority areas outlined in the VW BMP and specified in the initial NOFO.

Grant awards in the priority area/counties are as follows and include 42 sites in Environmental Justice areas:

• Priority Area 1 = 34 Sites: Cook = 6, DuPage = 11, Kane = 8, Lake = 3, McHenry = 2, and Will = 3, Grundy County = 1
• Priority Area 2 = 22 Sites: Madison = 11, Monroe = 2, and St. Clair = 9
• Priority Area 3 = 31 Sites: Champaign = 7, DeKalb = 2, LaSalle = 4, McLean = 4, Peoria = 2, Sangamon = 3, and Winnebago = 9

Grant applicants were required to include a minimum of two projects in two or more of the priority areas. Applications with a minimum of three projects, one in each of the three priority areas, were prioritized for review, scoring, and funding.

As part of the VW Settlement, Illinois’ revised VW BMP focuses on reducing nitrogen oxide emissions in areas where the affected VW vehicles were registered. The revised BMP takes into consideration areas that do not meet federal air quality standards for ozone and bear a disproportionate share of the air pollution burden, including environmental justice areas.

Information about the two McHenry County locations follow:

• 1555 S. Illinois Route 31, McHenry. Hampton Inn
• 117 S. Randall Rd., Algonquin, The Half Priced Books shopping center in Algonquin