Illinois Clean Ports Program Hosting Informational Meetings to Help Shape the Future of Port Decarbonization

Decarbonizing ports is one of the most effective ways to spur economic growth and improve sustainability and resilience in local communities.

Springfield, IL -- Illinois EPA Director James Jennings is pleased to announce the Illinois Clean Ports Program's first in-person meetings for stakeholders and near-port communities to kick-off a planning process to decarbonize ports with cleaner vehicle technologies and supporting energy infrastructure.

For meeting details and to register, visit the Illinois Clean Ports Program website at illinoiscleanports.org. The scheduled meetings will take place:

• Tuesday June 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. for port districts within the Illinois Waterway Ports Commission. Distillery Labs, 201 SW Adams Street, Peoria, IL
• Tuesday June 30, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. for Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port District. Quincy Business and Technology Center, 301 Oak Street, Quincy, IL
• TBA at 7:00 p.m. for Upper Mississippi River International Port District, Savanna, IL
• July 2026 - Virtual Public Meeting, Details and Registration Coming Soon.

"This planning project will position businesses operating along inland waterways to benefit from future funding such as the upcoming Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program managed by Illinois EPA. As one part of that, Illinois EPA will deploy approximately $60 million in grant incentives to support the purchase of zero-emission vehicles, equipment, and related infrastructure," said Director Jennings. "We are taking proactive steps to maximize the benefits for local communities, by prioritizing small- and medium-sized fleets and leveraging this Clean Ports planning effort to ensure future deployment funding reaches all parts of the state."

During the meeting series through the end of 2027, stakeholders and community members will collaborate to create resiliency and decarbonization plans for each port district and set goals to reduce energy use and emissions, recommend strategies for community development, and identify funding and implementation strategies. These first meetings will serve to introduce the project and its goals.

Background

The EPA Clean Ports Program, created under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, allocated $3 billion to help fund planning and the purchase of zero-emission port equipment at U.S. Ports. This grant supports planning for advanced technologies to modernize port infrastructure to reduce emissions while also improving safety and efficiency in the movement of goods and passengers.

The funds were distributed among 26 states and U.S. territories, including Illinois. In 2024, the Illinois EPA - the prime recipient - received two grants for Planning and Deployment totaling over $95 million to help decarbonize its ports.

The Illinois Clean Ports Program will use the Planning funds to serve seven small water port districts in three rural locations including port districts within the Illinois Waterway Ports Commission, the Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port District, and the Upper Mississippi River International Port District; together, they span 23 counties and 470 river miles along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) was created in 1970 as part of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, making it the longest standing environmental protection agency in the U.S. The mission of the Illinois EPA is to safeguard environmental quality, consistent with the social and economic needs of the State of Illinois, so as to protect health, welfare, property, and the quality of life.

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