The Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation (IACT) will congratulate 20 Illinois organizations at its Annual Meeting and Holiday Reception for participating in the EMPOWER Workplace Charging Program in 2024. EMPOWER (Equitable Mobility Powering Opportunities for Workplace Electrification Readiness) is a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to support sustainable transportation and reduce carbon emissions by providing convenient electric vehicle (EV) charging options in the workplace.
As EVs become more common, the need for charging access at home, work and around town is growing. EMPOWER is comprised of a coalition of nonprofits that partners with EV charging experts and guides workplaces through the complex process of installing chargers at their locations. Implementing EV chargers helps businesses enhance job satisfaction and attract talent and can be especially vital for commuters without home charging. Additionally, companies can reduce fleet energy costs and emissions by converting to EVs, utilizing workplace charging infrastructure for overnight fleet charging or sharing space with employee charging areas.
The project aims to engage over 2,000 workplaces nationwide and secure pledges from more than 650 workplaces committed to enhancing EV accessibility for their employees. Additionally, it strives to catalyze the installation of over 3,500 charging ports across the country, directing over 40 percent of the benefits to workplaces located in or employing individuals from historically disinvested and pollution-impacted communities.
EMPOWER also enables employers to leverage federal, state and local utility programs that support workplace charging, helping them save on installation costs and strengthen their sustainability efforts. The program provides free coaching and consulting to assist organizations in developing effective workplace charging solutions while gaining recognition as EV-friendly workplaces.
So far, more than 3,400 workplaces have engaged with EMPOWER, over 430 workplaces have pledged to install EV charging infrastructure and 480 EV ports have been installed. Additionally, 60 percent of the benefits of EMPOWER are going to Equity and Environmental Justice workplaces.
These forward-thinking organizations participated in the EMPOWER Workplace Charging Program this year and have pledged to expand EV access for their employees, contributing toward the transition to a clean energy future:
The Village of Park Forest, Christopher B. Burke Engineering (Rosemont), the Village of Oak Park, Millennium Garages (Chicago), TurnonGreen (Rockford and Mattoon), Wilmette Park District, the American Lung Association (Springfield), the Village of Arlington Heights, Calumet Area Industrial Commission (Chicago), GTI Energy (Des Plaines), Kerry Farms (Winfield), Ozinga (Mokena), the Village of Elmwood Park, the City of Elgin, Oakton Community College (Des Plaines and Skokie), the Village of Bensenville, PODER (Chicago), ADM (Decatur), Kane County Government and Resource Innovations (Chicago).
EMPOWER participants will be recognized at IACT’s Annual Meeting and Holiday Reception on December 11, 2024, at Maggiano’s in Schaumburg. This year’s dinner will commemorate the coalition’s 30th year.