 The governor signed the documents in front of a Walgreens store near
downtown Chicago that has a charging station for electric vehicles.
Quinn spoke briefly to a small group about easing the state's
dependence on petroleum. He said developing the electric vehicle
industry was one way to do that.
"This is the wave of the future," he said. "We're just scratching
the surface."
Quinn said a growing fleet of electric vehicles and charging
stations around Chicago and its nearby suburbs will help the state
become a major hub for electric vehicle technology.
Several people spoke at the event, including bill sponsors and
representatives from Walgreens and the car-sharing company I-GO,
which plans to add 36 electric vehicles and install 18 charging
stations. Many said the increased production of electric vehicles
could lead to more domestic manufacturing jobs.
Both laws went into effect immediately. One of the new laws
provides grants that help companies buy electric vehicles for their
fleets. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will offer
grants worth up to 25 percent of a project's total cost. The grants
will be funded through the Alternate Fuels Fund, which Quinn
estimated had about $1 million.
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"The whole idea is to provide some incentives for folks to buy
vehicles that are very good for our environment," he said. "But they
also kind of teach all of us what the possibilities are."
Quinn also spoke about an electric-powered bus developed by BYD,
a company based in China. A company official attended the ceremony,
and Quinn said he plans to meet with more company officials when he
visits China in September.
The other new law creates within the administration a new
electric vehicle advisory council that will seek to promote greater
use of electric vehicles. It's unclear how many people will be a
part of the council, but Quinn said the positions will be unpaid.
"This will be a labor of love," he said. "I think there's a lot
of people ... that are part of this mission. It's a grass-roots
mission."
[Associated Press;
By BARBARA RODRIGUEZ]
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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