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Will County Alternative Fuels Readiness Plan
Fueling Our Future
The Will County Alternative Fuels Readiness Plan will ensure that Will County is well-prepared for growing demand for alternative fuel vehicles. This online dashboard provides a five-part overview of alternative fuels, including:
- Background: What are alternative fuel vehicles? How many are in Illinois?
- Timeline: What major events have contributed to growth in alternative fuel vehicles?
- People and Settings: What are the relevant major characteristics of the residents of Will County and the built environment?
- Alternative Fuels Today: What is the current state of alternative fuel vehicle adoption and infrastructure in Will County?
Timeline
How have alternative fuel vehicles developed and spread over the last half century?
People and Setting
Photo of a driver's hands on a steering wheel.
Population
Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning ON TO 2050 Socioeconomic Forecast
Will County has a population of 696,355, according to the 2020 Census. Will County has experienced significant population growth since 2000, and is expected to increase to 887,000 by 2050, faster than the Chicagoland region as a whole.
Landscapes of Will County
Energy and Emissions
When considering whether to purchase an electric vehicle the cost of energy may be an important consideration. Will County residents pay almost $2,000 per year in energy costs, which is comparable to what most residents pay in Illinois. Illinois residents have the 4th lowest average electricity bill nationally.
For cities and counties, deciding where to place charging infrastructure may also be influenced by local availability. At a local level, energy availability is in part determined by local substation capacity. There are 87 electric substations within Will County, concentrated along the Des Plaines River and near Joliet and Romeoville. Understanding the capacity of each substation will be an important factor for future site owners when deciding whether to place a charging station at a given location.
One of the primary objectives of alternative fuel vehicles is the potential to reduce emissions caused by internal combustion, addressing both local air quality (such as smog) and greenhouse gases. A tool from the Union of Concerned Scientists is a great resource to see how much cleaner an electric vehicle is compared to an internal combustion vehicle, even when accounting for grid emissions.
Addressing these emissions can also alleviate conditions for communities impacted by air pollution and environmental degradation. In Will County, this includes many communities near the Des Plaines River and in Joliet who are impacted by poor air quality and diesel pollution.
GHG Emissions per Capita for Will County and the CMAP Region
Will County experiences relatively high rates of emissions from vehicles, in large part because of its role as a regional freight hub. According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Will County had the highest per-capita on road emissions in the region. The county also has the highest emissions from commercial vehicles in the region.
Alternative Fuels Today
What is the current state of alternative fuel vehicle adoption and infrastructure in Will County?
Alternative fuel vehicles are bringing jobs to Will County and Illinois. Under the Climate and Equitable Justice Act passed in 2021, the Clean Jobs Workforce program will create 13 workforce hubs around the state, including one in Joliet. Hyzon Motors, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle manufacturing plant in Bolingbrook, will be the first of its kind. The Lion Electric Company in Joliet will specialize in all-electric school buses.
With Hyzon Motors and the Lion Electric Company, the County already has a growing workforce skilled in alternative fuel technologies.
A photograph of the Lion Electric Company's manufacturing facility in Joliet. An electric school bus sits outside.
Alternative Fuels Infrastructure
There are nine Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFC) in Illinois. These corridors will form a national network of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along national highway system corridors. Will County is home to three AFCs: I-80, I-55, and I-57. I-80 is corridor-ready (meaning that EV charging is available at 50-mile intervals), while the other two are corridor-pending.
There are also 65 publicly available alternative fueling stations in Will County, most in close proximity to I-55 and I-80. Fifty-three of these are for electric vehicles and five are Direct Current Fast Chargers (meaning that they can fully charge a typical car in about an hour).
In general, electric vehicle registration is concentrated in the northern part of the County.
Alternative Fuel Corridors, Charging Stations, and the Concentration of EV Registrations in Will County
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
EV registrations in Will County have steadily climbed since 2017. As of June 2023, there were nearly 5,000 EVs registered in Will County, Illinois.
Forecasted EV Registrations through 2030
Current adoption rates suggest that Will County will see over 60,000 EV registrations by 2030. The highest concentration of EV registrations are in southern Naperville and northern Plainfield, Frankfort, and Homer Glen. Joliet has comparably lower concentration of EV registrations than other parts of the County. If Illinois adopted California’s emissions standards and other policy interventions, that number could exceed 100,000 EVs by 2030
Funding Opportunities
Table of funding opportunities for different alternative fuels. Note that most funding opportunities are eligible to more than one alternative fuel.
There are billions of dollars available for residents, businesses, nonprofits, government, and many others as a result of recent Federal and state initiatives. Electric vehicles are available for more than 40 grants, rebates, tax credits, and other forms of support. Many other alternative fuels are also eligible for grant support.
This support is provided primarily through Federal and state government, as well as local utilities like ComEd. Many of the larger grants broadly targeting emissions and pollution reduction, which makes EV and hydrogen fuel a particularly competitive fuel choice.
Opportunities include rebates for light duty electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell transit buses, charging infrastructure for freight delivery vehicles, home energy improvements, tax incentives for new manufacturing, and many other purposes.
Some grants are focused on capital research projects. Others focus on research, local charging infrastructure, corridor charging, and others.
What about Hydrogen?
Hydrogen is an alternative fuel that can be used to produce electricity. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are zero-emission vehicles. As a result, hydrogen technology is eligible for many Federal grants.
The main obstacle for wide-spread hydrogen deployment is obtaining the fuel. In 2023, Illinois received a $1 Billion grant to support the development of a Midwest Hydrogen Hub that would make hydrogen more widely available in the state. Hydrogen can also be produced from renewable resources. The nearby Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) operates an entirely zero-emission transit fleet using hydrogen produced by renewable energy.
In Will County, inland port and industrial activities are eligible for many grants that target emissions associated with medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Grants such as the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), the Clean Ports Program, and others can support hydrogen investment at inland port facilities or reduce emissions associated with trucks.
What's Next?
The Will County Alternative Fuel Readiness Plan is currently underway. The goal of this plan is to prepare the County for increased use of alternative fuel vehicles and position the County to capture the benefits that alternative fuels will bring, including lower emissions, job opportunities, and more. The future is underway, and many factors, including legislation, consumer preferences, and market forces, impact how the County's residents and businesses will adopt alternative fuels and vehicles. It is critical for the County to be prepared for this future and serve the changing transportation needs of its residents, businesses, and travelers.