Darien Mayor Joe Marchese, ComEd, and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (Caucus) today announced the inaugural cohort of communities participating in the EV Readiness Program, a unique initiative launched earlier this year to help local governments prepare to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure. Funded in part with a $225,000 commitment from ComEd, the EV Readiness Program will help communities streamline policies and implement best practices for safe and effective regional transportation electrification.
EVs – which provide cost savings, environmental and health benefits for communities – continue to grow in popularity and are expected to account for 50 percent of new vehicle sales by 2030. This is thanks in large part to the increased availability of state and federal incentives, and to Illinois’ landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) passed in 2021, which calls for 1 million EVs on the road by 2030. Through programs like EV Readiness, ComEd is working with customers and community partners across the region to prepare for this influx and to help them meet goals for sustainability and EV adoption.
The City of Darien and other program participants will focus on policy development related to EV infrastructure, permitting, and safety, and support community engagement.
The first communities selected by the Caucus include a diverse mix of 16 communities across the region:
- Aurora
- Carol Stream
- Chicago
- Darien
- Deer Park
- Geneva
- Glencoe
- HampshireHanover Park
- Kane County
- Maywood
- Oak Park
- Polo
- Richton Park
- Skokie
- University Park
Through the program, EV Readiness cohort members will follow a pathway toward EV Ready Bronze, Silver, or Gold designation, achieving status by taking action in several categories related to EV adoption and infrastructure.
“Our aim is to make it faster, easier, and more affordable for our residents and businesses to install EV charging stations in our community,” said City of Darien Mayor Joe Marchese. “Darien has adopted the Greenest Region Compact, our region’s consensus sustainability pledge. The EV Readiness Program will help us achieve the sustainable transportation goals in the Compact.” Mayor Marchese said, “a big thanks to Dan Gombac for his work on this initiative as well as the other environmental programs resulting in the award from the USEPA as a Greenest Communities award in 2020.”
Dan Gombac, Darien's Director of Community Development, worked with Mayor Marchese to submit the application to become a recipient of the EV readiness program. “The city is well prepared to be a part of this cohort which is evident by our designation as Greenest Region Compact,’ stated Director Gombac.
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is a membership organization of the Chicago region’s 275 cities, towns and villages. The Caucus pushes past geographical boundaries and local interests to work on public policy issues. The organization provides a forum for metropolitan Chicago’s chief elected officials to collaborate on common problems and work toward a common goal of improving the quality of life for the millions of people who call the region home. For more information on the EV Readiness Program, please visit the Caucus’ website.