Several energy companies in the Midwest are joining forces on a new interstate transportation program.
Ameren Illinois announced today they along with five other companies have committed to a Memorandum of Cooperation to work together to build an interstate electric vehicle charging station network in the Midwest by the end of 2022.
Six energy companies have pledged to support the project, including Ameren Illinois, Ameren Missouri, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Evergy and Oklahoma Gas and Electric.
Utility programs supporting the Memorandum of Cooperation are subject to regulatory approvals and aim to have the charging infrastructure in place by the end of 2022. According to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), there are more than 1.5 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads today. By 2030, that number is expected to grow to 18.7 million. To support EVs by that time, 9.6 million public charging stations will be needed and only about 100,000 are available today.
Richard Mark, chairman and president, of Ameren Illinois says Ameren’s “focus in joining this multi-state coalition is to develop a charging infrastructure that will help reduce ‘range anxiety’ and lead to broader adoption of electric vehicles.”
Ameren officials say with the new charging stations, customers across the Midwest can have range confidence whenever they travel, while helping take care of the environment.
They say while there are about 40 models of EVs on the road today, the Electric Power Research Institute forecasts that in two years, there will be more than 130 models available.