The city of Highland, Illinois, has generated a $24,317 incentive from the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) for the purchase and installation of two electric vehicle charging stations. The stations, both level 2 “fast charge” electric vehicle charging stations, are dual port and able to charge two vehicles at once.
The charging stations, which are available for public use, are now up and running. They are located on Broadway, on the South side of the city square, and on 9th Street, in the Latzer Memorial Public Library parking lot. Both stations are within the downtown area and the sites were chosen because of their central location, close to shopping and dining.
The City of Highland was eligible for the incentive program as a municipal member of the IMEA, a wholesale supplier of electricity to 32 municipalities throughout Illinois. Dan Cook, Professional Engineer and Highland’s Director of Light and Power, is the City’s representative on the IMEA Board and worked with IMEA staff to secure the funding under the Agency’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station and EV Program.
The City of Highland and many local businesses have similarly tapped into the Highland/IMEA Electric Efficiency Program to earn incentives to replace older, inefficient lights, motors and HVAC equipment with more efficient, money-saving options. All told, the city and IMEA have awarded more than $400,000 in electric efficiency program funding. Over the past five years, IMEA-incentivized projects in Highland have achieved more than 668,500 kilowatt hours of annual energy savings.