Illinois offers $20 million in grants for electric vehicle charging stations

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is making $20 million in funding available for the build-out of electric vehicle chargers, on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Governor Pritzker has prioritized electrification of the transportation sector to improve air quality and benefit the health of our residents,” said Acting Director Jennings. “To support that priority, we are committed to expanding the charging infrastructure necessary to power current and future electric vehicles throughout Illinois.”

The funding applies to the purchase and installation of new Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) EV charging stations (Level 3) and alternating current (Level 2) charging stations to be located at publicly accessible locations in Illinois.

According to the IEPA, each application for Level 3 chargers must include a minimum of two charging station locations, with a maximum funding of 8 DCFC ports per location. There is no limit on Level 2 ports.

All applications must meet a minimum score, factoring in project readiness, a location where the IEPA has not previously funded a project, distance to public EV charging sites, and location at a public park and ride facility.

Additional funding is available for areas in an Equity Investment Eligible Community.

The funding is made available through the Rebuild Illinois program.