The Will County Alternative Fuels Readiness Plan (AFRP) will ensure that our communities are well-prepared for the growing demand for vehicles powered by alternative fuels from residents, visitors, and businesses.The AFRP will help identify the main drivers of alternative fuel vehicle adoption in order to better understand when and where more infrastructure and support will be needed to support travelers’ needs. Alternative fuel infrastructure will be led by a mix of public, private, and quasi-public entities, each of which play an important role in planning or providing critical infrastructure. Strategies developed through this plan will not only help to meet practical immediate needs, such as identifying where charging stations are most needed, but also help make meaningful progress to support the County in maintaining economic competitiveness, improving local air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from traditional fuel sources, and limiting the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Alternative fuels include electricity, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, hydrogen, hythane, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, and other advanced biofuels.
Click here to read more on alternative fuels in Will County.
Stakeholder Engagement and Public Involvement
For this plan to be successful, it will need the support and input from residents and visitors across the County. There are many ways to stay informed or get involved. Throughout the development of the plan, there will be four public meetings at important milestones where participants will be updated on progress and have a chance to ask questions. For people who prefer small group discussion, focus groups will be held to better understand the Community’s needs, develop strategies, and ensure that racial equity and environmental justice is considered throughout the plan. In early 2024, there will be a large group workshop to provide input on strategies. A survey will be administered to help us gather input from many different stakeholders and members of the public. We will also host tabling events to gather input from individuals. We hope that this variety of engagement opportunities helps us to gather input in ways that fit many participants’ schedules and needs. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@willcountyfuels.com.
Stakeholder Meeting 09.27.23
Stakeholder Meeting 02.13.24
EVs Support the Regional Economy
Argonne National Laboratory collaborated on this plan to estimate economic impacts from installing EV chargers. Their findings include:
For every 10 chargers installed in Will County, as many as 55 new jobs are supported.
Jobs are created across the supply chain: construction, electricians, suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, advertisers and more. Thousands of jobs are required to meet charging demand.
Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) located near a commercial center could create a significant number of jobs. Will County’s role as a freight hub will position the County to generate significant economic benefits through the development of new charging infrastructure.
