Committee on Transportation & Public Way City Council Meeting March 24, 2021
Call for Subject-Matter Hearings on Chicago's Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
WHEREAS, approximately 99% of vehicles on the road today in the United States are powered by internal combustion engines; and
WHEREAS, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions nationally, with vehicles producing approximately 28% of emissions nationwide and 24% in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, diesel fuel negatively impacts the environment by emitting nitrogen oxides, which have an atmospheric lifetime of more than 120 years; and
WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, diesel engines damage crops, trees, and other vegetation due to their production of ground-level ozone and contribution to acid rain that impacts waterways and enters the human food chain; and
WHEREAS, electric vehicles have lower maintenance costs and lower costs of charging compared with gasoline prices, which often offset their higher upfront price over time; and
WHEREAS, General Motors recently committed to phasing out sales of gas-powered cars and light trucks and sell only battery-powered vehicles that produce no emissions by 2035; and
WHEREAS, Tesla, Ford, and Volkswagen plan to introduce dozens of new electric models in the years ahead; and
WHEREAS, approximately 80% owners plug in their electric vehicles at home and charge overnight; and
WHEREAS, a majority of Chicago homes are located in multi-unit buildings; and
WHEREAS, Chicagoans who park their cars on the street or in larger apartment or condo buildings are frequently unable to charge at home; and
WHEREAS, existing charging infrastructure is not always accessible to all electric-vehicle owners, as it is sometimes specific to certain vehicles or located in expensive parking garages; and
WHEREAS, in April 2020, the Chicago City Council approved an ordinance that increased requirements for electricity vehicle-ready and electric vehicle-installed parking for certain residential and commercial buildings; and
WHEREAS, Chicago will need to procure a significantly larger amount of electricity to power electric vehicles as the shift toward emissions-free vehicles accelerates in the coming decades; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is negotiating a new franchise agreement with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd). In September 2020, Mayor Lightfoot requested that ComEd develop a comprehensive electric-vehicle and electrification strategy that includes a citywide non-commercial electric-vehicle program that increases equity in the location of charging infrastructure, rebates for electric vehicles, load-shifting strategies for electric-vehicle charging, and diversity incentives and targets for the electric-vehicle workforce; and
WHEREAS, in April 2019, the Chicago City Council approved a resolution supporting a clean energy transition plan, including a commitment to fully electrify the Chicago Transit Authority bus fleet by 2040; and
WHEREAS, on January 27, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. issued an executive order directing federal officials to devise a plan for converting all federal, state, local, and Tribal government fleets to "clean and zero-emission vehicles"
WHEREAS, President Biden has also publicly declared a goal of building 500,000 new electric vehicle-charging stations across the United States; and
WHEREAS, building the requisite number of electric vehicle-charging stations, placing them in optimal locations, and ensuring that they are not used in ways that will overtax the electric grid will require close coordination among federal, state, and local officials; and
WHEREAS, congressional leaders in Illinois and states intend to pass a federal infrastructure bill that could allocate a historic amount of electric vehicle-infrastructure funding to the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago in the years ahead; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, hereby call upon the Committee on Transportation & Public Way to hold one or more subject-matter
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hearings to identify strategies and considerations for how the City of Chicago can create an efficient and equitable citywide plan for electric vehicle-charging infrastructure; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the city's Chief Sustainability Officer and appropriate representatives from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Assets, Information & Services be available at each hearing to present information and answer questions.
Matthew J. Martin 47th Ward Alderman
Howard Brookins Jr. 21st Ward Alderman
Michael D. Rodriguez 22nd Ward Alderman
Daniel La Spata 1 st Ward Alderman