Oak Park is one of 34 communities included in an award of more than $14.4 million to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for charging and fueling infrastructure from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The funding allocated to Oak Park will help the village install 13 more electric vehicle charging stations that will be available to the public. Locations could include Village Hall, parking facilities or areas in proximity to housing, workplaces or recreational facilities.
The village owns 13 public electric vehicle charging stations already, so this grant will allow Oak Park to double its village-owned stations. That could help with a growing demand.
The percentage of residents who own an electric vehicle in Oak Park increased from 0.7% in 2019 to 3.5% in 2024, according to Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Roland Nieratka.
The total funding amount awarded to the MMC will support 196 electric vehicle charging stations with 389 ports to be built throughout the Chicago region.
The MMC will also build one compressed natural gas fueling station with the grant funds. This station will source much of its fuel from renewable natural gas sources.
The goal of the chosen sites for charging stations is to “fill gaps in equitable access to charging and fueling,” according to the MMC.
“We are thrilled to receive this CFI grant, which will expand equitable access to EV charging, help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region, and improve community resilience,” said Kevin Burns, MMC environment and energy committee chairman.
Out of the 196 charging stations to be built throughout the Chicagoland area, 181 will be level two, meaning it charges faster than a level one station. And the other 15 will be DC Fast Chargers, which can charge in as little as 20 minutes.
Last August, Oak Park started requiring electric vehicle drivers in Oak Park to pay a user fee of 25 cents per kilowatt hour to use village-owned charging stations. The Park District of Oak Park, which also owns four charging stations, charges 25 cents per kWh, too. The village board voted for this change in July 2024.
Presumably, the charging fee will apply to the new stations, too. That means increased revenue for the village. Development Services Director Emily Egan previously said revenue from the existing 13 village-owned stations would offset maintenance costs and electricity fees and help expand the charging infrastructure.
The push for electric vehicles and charging stations in Oak Park is a move to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a goal outlined in Climate Ready Oak Park. About 25% of local emissions are from gas-powered cars and trucks.
But trustees are now grappling with the reality that they might not meet their first goal in the CROP plan, to reduce emissions by 60% by 2030. The village only reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7% from 2019 to 2022.
Transportation-related emissions were reduced by 12% from 2019 to 2022, however, more than the reduction in residential or commercial energy usage.
