Skip to main content

Driving a Cleaner Illinois

News

Illinois EPA has issued a Call for Partners for the United States Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports Program. Illinois EPA is seeking interest from qualified and eligible public and private organizations interested in partnering with Illinois EPA on Clean Ports Program efforts. See our Clean Ports Call for Partners for additional details.

Driving a Cleaner Illinois is the Illinois EPA’s grant program developed to distribute funding for various types of mobile source electrification projects. The Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program implements funding from a variety of sources, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program.

When a Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available for applicants, it is posted to this page in addition to Illinois' Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) website. Each NOFO will include the funding source and amounts, applicant and vehicle/equipment eligibility, and specific information on how and when to apply. More information about each funding source may be found below and on the respective webpages listed in the Links section below. Sign up for the Driving a Cleaner Illinois listserv to receive updates and notifications when a NOFO is available. Be advised that the Agency does not provide advance notice of the timing or types of projects of future grant announcements. If you wish to be notified of grant announcements, please sign up for the listserv below.

Current Notice of Funding Opportunities

Program Documents Application Deadline Contact

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - CEJA EV Chargers, Round Two

see below DACI-CEJA section for documents

May 10, 2024, 5:00 pm CDT

Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program Funding Sources

Illinois EPA has a variety of funding sources for its Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program. These funding sources are summarized below. Please periodically check this site or sign up for the listserv for “Current Notice of Funding Opportunities” regarding open application periods for these funds and select project types.

Climate and Equitable Jobs Act

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act includes provisions to phase out carbon emissions from the energy and transportation sectors. The Illinois EPA is directed to provide funding, consistent with Illinois Commerce Commission-approved Beneficial Electrification Plans, to public and private organizations and companies to install and maintain publicly-available Level 2 or Level 3 charging stations. Up to 80% of the cost of the installation of charging stations may be funded. Additional awards may incentivize charging infrastructure in eligible communities.

More information may be found on our Climate and Equitable Jobs Act webpage.

Volkswagen (VW) Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund

The VW Environmental Mitigation Trust was established by Appendix D of the VW Settlement because of Clean Air Act violations relating to installation of “defeat devices” in certain Volkswagen diesel vehicles. Illinois’ initial allocation of funds was approximately $108 million. The funds are to be used for projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in Illinois.

More information may be found on our VW Settlement webpage

Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Funds

The purpose of the DERA State Clean Diesel Grant Program is to enable participating states to support grant, rebate, and loan programs to achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions. Through this program, states enter into Cooperative Agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for administering their allocation of DERA funds for eligible project types. This funding is provided on a federal fiscal year basis.

Current Funding Availability for Driving a Cleaner Illinois

In accordance with GATA, Illinois EPA will provide a NOFO for open application periods for its Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program. Below are summaries of currently available funding along with links to the application materials.

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA)

CEJA Round 2

Illinois EPA is accepting applications to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) will fund a portion of the eligible costs associated with new, commercial-grade Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC, also known as level 3) and Alternating Current level 2 charging stations for electric vehicles, to be located at publicly accessible charging station locations in Illinois. Additional points will be awarded to both Environmental Justice communities and to projects at public transportation park-and-ride facilities.

Applicants may find the NOFO and all application materials below and also at Illinois’ GATA webpage Applicants must pre-qualify prior to application submission. For further information, see the GATA section below as well at the GATA webpage. Applications are due May 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm CDT. Applications should be signed, scanned and submitted to EPA.EVCharging@Illinois.gov by May 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm CDT. Read all instructions as late, incomplete, or improperly submitted applications will be rejected without the opportunity to correct.

Current Application Materials

Notice of Funding Opportunity
Program Grant Application
Uniform Grant Application
GATA Budget Instructions
GATA Budget To Fill Out
Conflict of Interest Disclosure

If you are having trouble opening the NOFO, please right-click the link and choose “save as,” then open the downloaded file with Acrobat Reader outside of your browser. If you would like a copy of the NOFO e-mailed to you, please email EPA.EVCharging@Illinois.gov

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - Volkswagen

Illinois EPA does not have a current Notice of Funding Opportunity open for Driving a Cleaner Illinois - VW

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA)

Illinois EPA does not have a current Notice of Funding Opportunity open for Driving a Cleaner Illinois - DERA.

Webinars & Frequently Asked Questions

Contacts

For Questions Regarding:

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - CEJA, please use this e-mail address: EPA.EVCharging@Illinois.gov

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - VW grants, please use this email address: epa.vwgrants@illinois.gov

Driving a Cleaner Illinois - DERA grants, please use this email address: epa.deragrants@illinois.gov.

Listserv

Please enter your email into the following listserv form if you would like to receive future updates about the Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link that you will need to click to confirm addition of your name to the list.

Email address:
(optional) Your name:

Documents and Links

Recent Awards

Applicant Project Amount Funding Source

Barrington Transportation Co., Inc.

1 electric school bus and charging station

$230,625

VW Round 3

Compass Transportation, LLC

1 electric school bus and charging station

$230,396.25

VW Round 3

Huntley Consolidated School District 158

4 electric school bus and charging station

$1,042,611

VW Round 3

River Trails School District #26

1 electric school bus and charging station

$288,215.25

VW Round 3

Wauconda Community Unit School District 118

2 electric school bus and charging station

$570,348

VW Round 3

First Student – Lake Park High School District 108

1 electric school bus and charging station

$213,150.75

VW Round 3

First Student- Schaumburg School District 54

1 electric school bus and charging station

$213,150.75

VW Round 3

First Student-Township High School District 214

1 electric school bus and charging station

$213,150.75

VW Round 3

First Student – Edwardsville Community Unit District 7

​1 electric school bus and charging station

$213,150.75

VW Round 3

First Student- Collinsville Community Unit School District 10

1 electric school bus and charging station

$213,150.75

VW Round 3

Triad Community Unit School District 2

3 electric school bus and charging station

$791,145.75

VW Round 3

Wauconda Community Unit School District 118

Sixty new direct-fired heaters for school buses.

$299,392.74

CMAQ

Triad Community Unit School District #2

Three all-electric school buses and the necessary charging infrastructure

$650,000

VW Round 2

Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete, Inc.

Ten new compressed natural gas concrete mixer trucks

$607,838.65

DERA

Pace Suburban Bus

Six new compressed natural gas public transit buses

$2,353,843.80

VW Round 1

Chicago Transit Authority

Three new all-electric public transit buses

$1,895,476.50

VW Round 1

Cook-Illinois Corp.

Two new all-electric school buses and charging unit

$474,146.25

VW Round 1

First Student, Inc.

One new all-electric school bus and charging unit

$241,108.50

VW Round 1

Metra

Three passenger/commuter locomotives repowered with electric motors

$14,000,000

VW Round 1

BP Pulse

Gas Stations - Champaign, Forest View, Cicero, Carpentersville, West Chicago, Rosco

$960,000

VW Round 4

ChargePoint

Retail Stores - Naperville, Shiloh, Champaign

Restaurants - Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Rockford

$960,000

VW Round 4

Francis Energy

Gas Stations/Restaurants - Beach Park, Troy, LeRoy

$480,000

VW Round 4

GPM Midwest

Gas Stations - Hartford, South Beloit, Springfield

$480,000

VW Round 4

Kerry Farms

Retail/Event Center - East Peoria, Winfield, Sauget

$480,000

VW Round 4

Loves Travel Stops

Truck Stops - Utica, Hamel, Hampshire, Williamsville, Channahon, Normal

$960,000

VW Round 4

Pilot Travel Centers

Truck Stops - Morris, Mascoutah, LaSalle, Monee, Troy, South Beloit

$960,000

VW Round 4

Powered Dynamics

Shopping Centers - Elgin, Glendale Heights, Belleville, Rockford, Aurora, Algonquin

$960,000

VW Round 4

Road Ranger

Gas Stations - South Beloit, Hampshire, Ottawa

$480,000

VW Round 4

Universal EV

Hotels - North Aurora (2), Columbia, Champaign (5), Palatine, Waterloo, Hoffman Estates (2), Granite City (2), Rockford (3), Bensenville (2), Pontoon Beach (2), Lombard, Collinsville (2), DeKalb (2), Alton, Bolingbrook, Fairview Heights (2), Naperville (2), Caseyville (2), Ottawa, Peoria, Libertyville (2), O'Fallon, Oakbrook Terrace, Springfield, Normal, McHenry, Bloomington

$5,880,000

VW Round 4