Oak Park is among suburban towns selected to participate in a new program intended to assist municipalities meet future needs for electric vehicle usage.
Late last year, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus revealed a list of 16 municipalities selected to participate in a new Electric Readiness program intended to either create or enhance policies and then install top methods for safe regional transportation electrification. Along with Oak Park, also picked to be part of the program are Skokie, Glencoe and Aurora.
“The Village’s participation in the EV Readiness Program will support Oak Park’s goal of a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050. To reach our climate action goals by 2030, we need to shift half of our gas-powered cars to zero carbon cars – including EVs, bikes, and walking,” village of Oak Park Sustainability Coordinator Marcella Bondie Keenan told Pioneer Press in an emailed statement.
The project will be administered by the caucus and sponsored by electricity utility company Commonwealth Edison.
“This is a program that fits into our broader strategy and approach around supporting the transition to clean electrification within Northern Illinois,” ComEd Director of External Affairs Philip Roy said.
Roy said the program is set to provide technical support and guidance from the caucus as the communities work through a series of issues, including zoning, planning, permitting and safety — among others.
“There are a whole bunch of steps the municipalities will work through hand-in-hand with MMC and as they work through the process, they will earn the designation as an EV-ready community,” Roy said. “It helps those communities take those steps, assess their current state of readiness and then move to an increased level of readiness to accommodate clean transportation.”
For Oak Park, Keenan said as the village works through the EV Readiness program, village staff will complete tasks that ensure Oak Park’s planning, permitting, safety, parking, fleet and communications infrastructure and processes supports a village transition to electric vehicles.
“The EV Readiness Program will help guide Oak Park’s future strategic investment in EVs and EV charging infrastructure as expected grant funding becomes available, including the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program will also help the Village prepare for the changes brought by the increasing demand for EVs – especially the need for equitable access to public charging stations,” Keenan said in the emailed statement.
Roy said there will be a second cohort announced next summer, and the program will be assessed over time to see how it fits into the progress they are making.
The program started following conversations with MMC over the last few years and spoke on the overall state of the readiness for electric vehicles in the area, he explained.
“We are at the start of our journey,” Roy said. “We are seeing rapid expansion in terms of adoption of electric vehicles so each year the number of registrations of electric vehicles within the state and especially our service territory continues to rise and charging availability in increasing. But there is a lot we need to do to make sure that this transportation can occur across all of our communities and can occur equitably and can occur all residents and businesses are able to take part in this transition and reap its benefits.”
The other communities selected to be part of the inaugural cohort include Carol Stream, Chicago, Darien, Deer Park, Geneva, Hampshire, Hanover Park, Kane County, Maywood, Polo, Richton Park and University Park.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer.
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Pioneer Press staff contributed.