Ameren Illinois will give the Town of Normal money to help it implement a transportation electrification plan developed with the utility company.
Normal received funding through the Ameren Illinois Community Engagement and Consultation program. Normal has been awarded $100,000 toward the purchase of electric fleet vehicles.
Normal and Ameren Illinois said they are committed to working together to make improvements to the community’s transportation infrastructure which will be geared toward EVs.
“This assistance will enable us to enhance and expand our infrastructure in ways that align with community goals,” says Mark Clinch, director of inspections and facilities for the Town of Normal.
The funding allocated to Normal will allow it to potentially install EV charging stations at priority locations and participating businesses and organizations, as well as develop a plan to expand the amount of EVs in Normal’s own fleet vehicles.
The partnership also wants to educate the public and businesses about EVs. Eric Sackett, senior manager of beneficial electrification and business development of Ameren Illinois, said they hope more people will learn EVs could be accessible to them, with the planned launch of an EV outreach and education program from Normal.
Ameren Illinois hopes to utilize the education programs to teach residents, businesses and the community about all the different facets of the electrification plan with the community consultation program Normal has already enrolled in and a fleet assessment program to compare savings to a switch to EVs.
“At Ameren Illinois, we’re committed to providing the tools and resources communities need to make electrification achievable and impactful,” he said. “We’re excited to see the Town of Normal take the next steps and create lasting benefits for residents and businesses alike.”
Sackett said the program’s goals include reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and resident health, align with the state’s goals of EV adoption and bring the benefits of electrification to low-income communities.
“It’s all about cross pollination, we are all about customer education and outreach and really getting our customer base knowledgeable about EVs just overall to be in alignment with the state’s goals for sustainability and overall carbon reductions,” said Sackett.
Ameren Illinois is not satisfied with the amount of charging stations around the state, according to Sackett. He said they want to decrease range anxiety among EV users and help them have the same availability gas-powered vehicle owners have.
“There’s gas stations on every corner and it’s something that we kind of take for granted, whereas when you have an EV there’s a lot more planning involved,” he said. “So, the more [charging stations] we can get out there, the better.”
Sackett said range anxiety is “real” for EV users, and it requires extensive planning for longer rides.
“A lot more planning involved in every trip that you take to make sure that you’re going to have those opportunities to charge your vehicle and it’s just something that if we had more of [the charging stations] out there, it would just be a lot easier and lot less effort for the EV user,” he said.
Sackett said success of the program can be challenging to measure, but some numbers are available.
“When we see upticks in EVs in our territory, more chargers going online and we’re getting these fundings incentives that are tied to this program out, that really helps us measure and adjust our target marketing in a way to make sure that we’re getting to all those folks,” said Sackett.
Residents or businesses interested in learning more about Ameren Illinois resources for EVs can visit their website.
