Governor JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and the Illinois Department of Transportation have announced that $18.4 million in grants will be awarded in order to build 25 EV charging stations along the state’s interstate corridors.
The announcement comes after Governor Pritzker successfully restored federal funding that had been frozen by the Trump Administration.
The grant, which is made possible by the second round of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, helps Illinois meet its goal of having a million EVs registered in the state by 2030.
Illinois is set to receive $148 million from NEVI to build an EV charging network that will first be installed along interstate corridors, followed by more local locations.
In May, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 16 other attorneys general, sued the Federal Highway Administration for withholding the appropriated funds. A judge then ordered the administration to release the funding designated for Illinois and 13 other states.
The NEVI program, a part of a series of initiatives to advance Illinois’ goal of becoming a leader in manufacturing and EVs, advances Pritzker’s Administration commitment to making the state an EV industry leader, fighting climate change, and creating jobs.
“This is an important step forward in building Illinois’ clean energy economy,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards, in a statement. “These investments not only expand our electric vehicle charging network, but they also drive our continued growth in the EV manufacturing sector, from automakers and suppliers to the skilled workers powering the transition.”
Read more here.