This expansive EV charging hub is made possible through technical and operational support from ComEd, Civic Infrastructure Collaborative, SP+ Corporation, and multiple EV charging partners. ComEd recently awarded US$200,000 in energy efficiency incentives to support Millennium Garages in lowering its energy usage, reducing carbon emissions, and freeing up electrical capacity for clean transportation.
Millennium Garages’ four underground facilities include more than 9,000 parking spaces in the heart of the Chicago Loop. With 100 level-2 EV chargers, the company is already the region’s largest public EV charging hub, and it plans to triple EV charging capacity by 2026. The garages feature a variety of charging options for customers, including EVPassport, ChargePoint, FlashParking and Tesla. All EV charging at Millennium Garages will be powered by certified renewable wind energy.
“In partnership with ComEd and the City of Chicago, we are proud to expand charging access for local residents, commuters, visitors, and fleets,” said Jamie Ponce, Millennium Garages’ chief innovation and strategy officer. “Millennium makes it easy to go electric while making the most of our world-class city. As Chicago returns to in-person work and play, our EV charging program highlights how urban infrastructure can support important transportation, energy, and economic development opportunities.”
The number of EVs on the road are on the rise in Illinois, a key goal outlined in the state’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). ComEd and Millennium Garages are supporting the State’s goal of opening Illinois’ roads to one million EVs by 2030. Currently, there are 70,000 EVs in northern Illinois, nearly 23,000 of which are registered in Cook County. Demand for EVs and EV charging is expected to climb steadily in the years ahead.
“We are delighted about this large installation of chargers in a prominent location in the heart of Chicago at Millennium Garage’s underground parking facility,” said Megha Lakhchaura, State of Illinois EV officer. “This is a testament to the growing popularity of electric vehicles, and we commend Millennium Garages and ComEd for investing in their customers to align with the state’s goals to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and fight climate change.”
By reducing energy consumption and utility costs, efficiency efforts at Millennium Garages and other facilities have enabled increased investment in EV charging and clean energy. With more than US$200,000 in energy efficiency incentives from ComEd, Millennium Garages recently completed ventilation and building automation system upgrades to reduce annual energy consumption by an estimated two gigawatt-hours — the equivalent of eliminating 3.1 million pounds of carbon emissions a year.
EV charging at Millennium Garages follows ComEd’s ongoing work across the region as the company develops solutions to electrify fleet vehicles and embrace cleaner technologies. To accelerate EV adoption and to help more customers achieve their sustainability goals, ComEd recently announced a US$231m investment in electrification, with plans for new rebates, rates and pilot studies to help more customers move toward EVs and higher efficiency technology upgrades, like heat pumps, at home.
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the US. ComEd powers the lives of more than four million customers across northern Illinois, or 70% of the state's population.
