The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is granting $25.1 million to fund electric-vehicle (EV) chargers under the Driving a Cleaner Illinois program. The grant will go toward 20 applicants and fund 643 new direct current fast charging (DCFC) ports at 141 locations throughout Illinois.
The gas station sites that are receiving money from the program include Amoco, bp, GPM Investments, Lanman Oil Co., Pilot Travel Centers, Red E Charging and Road Ranger. Other locations include hotels, car dealerships, retail, parks, healthcare locations and restaurants.
“Through these grants, Illinois will increase the number of fast charging ports by over 100%, resulting in nearly 1,000 more fast charging ports available for Illinois’ EV motorists and visitors,” said John Kim, director of IEPA. “This is significant progress in building out EV charging infrastructure throughout Illinois, with more opportunities on the way.”
The awards are based on a Notice of Funding Opportunity issued in late 2023, seeking publicly accessible locations statewide. These grants were made possible through Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan and authorized under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA).
“In Illinois, we’re strategically turning our vision for a clean energy future into a reality,” said Pritzker. “Thanks to recent grant awards, my administration will double the number of publicly available fast charging ports—putting us one step closer to our goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2050.”
In 2023, IEPA awarded $12.6 million in Volkswagen Settlement funding for more than 300 new EV fast charging ports.
The IEPA also recently announced Round 2 of CEJA EV charging funding, which includes the same eligible private-sector applicants and Level 3 DCFC Chargers, while also opening eligibility to units of local government and Level 2 chargers.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.