Illinois passes the EV Charging Act!

[Nedadeylami2]

Great news!!! Today, the General Assembly passed SB40, the EV Charging Act. This bill will make 100% of parking spaces in new residences EV Capable, with conduit and reserved capacity to easily install EV charging later. It also gives renters and condo owners a Right to Charge without unreasonable restriction from landlords and HOAs and lays out rules and responsibilities of both parties (bill is attached).

This legislation was modeled after other states and municipalities, but I’m proud to say is uniquely ambitious in its equity (100% of spaces - no need for shuffling around or parking management) and foresight for grid planning (developers must plan for load sharing for multiple vehicles to charge simultaneously). This despite having to negotiate to EV Capable from EV Ready to neutralize opposition.

Right to Charge and EV Readiness were founding policies this group wanted to advocate for in Chicagoland and Illinois when we started in late 2018. I wrote the first concepts of this bill in my last year of law school and never imagined that within just five years it would become law.

I’ve always said that policy moves so slowly it seems like we aren’t getting anything done. We move two steps forward only to take one back. That is because, as the earliest of early adopters, we know what the future could look like, and that it can and should come sooner than the naysayers claim. But look at where we started and where we are - billions of dollars in federal funding for a national charging network, a revived tax credit, hundreds of millions in state funding for charging infrastructure and purchase rebates, and 60% growth in EV sales in Illinois last year. All of those things have their own issues, but all of them are massive steps forward, and man, am I relieved I don’t have to start conversations with decisionmakers first convincing them of why EVs are necessary, better, and inevitable — that’s what the last 5 years have achieved.

The EV Charging Act would not have been possible without the incredible years-long team effort of so many lovely people you should know about and celebrate: Leader Robyn Gabel, Rep from Evanston in the House, Senator Sara Feigenholtz from Lakeview, Jess Beverly formerly of Sierra Club Illinois, Brian Urbaszewski of the Respiratory Health Association, Chargepoint, the entire Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition for undertaking and advocating for this bill as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act family of legislation, Elaine Nekritz masterful lobbyist for ICJC, Vanessa Perkins, founder of the Community Charging Initiative who introduced me to Maddy Norris, Rep. Gabel’s former aide and my eternal cheerleader, Sam Bingham for being everything everywhere all at once in the Midwestern transportation electrification multiverse, and ALL OF YOU for driving an EV, supporting EVs, supporting Chi4EVs, getting butts in seats, talking to your reps, talking to your neighbors, and reading this far, I appreciate you. 

The work is never done of course — addressing home charging in only new residences isn’t enough to fill the gaps in access for those in multi-unit residences, so we must find a path to EV readiness for renovated residences as well.

For now, I’ll be celebrating! Thanks for being here for the ride.

Yours,

Neda

[Vanessa Perkins]

Way to go! That’s so great to hear!! This will make a HUGE difference. Thanks for advocating for us!!

Sent from my iPhone

On May 4, 2023, at 6:13 PM, Nedadeylami2 <nedade...@gmail.com> wrote:



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<10300SB0040eng.pdf>

[Michael Zurakov]

Way to go, Neda!!

You're a little too modest -- giving credit to others, while not mentioning that YOU were the driver in this victory.

So proud to be with you on this journey...

 -- michael z.

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