Chicago City Council adopts rules to EV charging infrastructure requirement in new construction buildings

According to the report of Chicago CityScape, Chicago City Council has adopted new rules that will require the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the parking areas of new construction buildings. The Council has also updated the bird-friendly building design policy, Chicago CityScape reported.

During the virtual meeting of the Council on April 24, an ordinance was proposed that will strengthen the review process for the use of several pollutants. The Councilors approved several ordinances during the meeting. Those ordinances were scheduled to be passed in March. The delay occurred due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the new rules, there must be EV charging capabilities in the parking areas of newly built multi-family buildings. This requirement is for the new buildings having five or more dwelling units. The rules stated, “One in five of the spaces must be EVSE-Ready or EVSE-Installed.” The Council decided that twenty percent rule was applied for the non-residential buildings having 30 or more parking spaces.

According to the sources, the Council will update the Chicago Sustainable Development Policy later this year. The update will improve the strategies for the implementation of a bird-friendly building design policy. A proposal was discussed in the meeting related to the intensified review process for the businesses requiring permits for the use of air pollutants.

According to the proposal, the intensified review will be implemented in Planned Manufacturing Districts. The Council is committed to implementing environmentally-friendly policies in the City of Chicago.