Ameren Illinois Partners With East St. Louis on EV Charging

EAST ST. LOUIS - The City of East St. Louis and Ameren Illinois unveiled two new public DC fast-charging electric vehicle stations Monday morning, June 15, 2026, at City Hall. The city and utility officials said the project is aimed at expanding access to cleaner transportation, plus supporting equity in the clean energy transition.

The stations, installed on municipal property at 301 River Park Drive, can charge four vehicles at the same time, according to Ameren Illinois. Ameren Illinois said its Community Engagement and Consultation, ChargeReady, and Market Development Initiative programs helped cover the cost of the charging station and related electric infrastructure upgrades. The programs are funded through Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.

“This project is about more than new charging stations — it’s an investment in our City’s future,” East St. Louis City Manager Robert Betts said. “By partnering with Ameren Illinois, we’re ensuring our residents will have a key resource available that will make the transition to cleaner, efficient transportation options more equitable.”

Betts said the charging station delivers direct current directly to a vehicle’s battery and can reach an 80 percent charge in under one hour.

Ameren Illinois said it worked with East St. Louis leaders and local stakeholders to align the programs with the city’s goals, address funding challenges, and provide technical assistance.

Mark Minden, beneficial electrification executive for Ameren Illinois, said the project brought together multiple programs and local partners.

“The city of East St. Louis, with Community Engagement and Consultation, got a transportation plan written in collaboration with the goal of making DC fast-charging programs available. We gave them a small grant toward it, and another market development program filled in the gaps. With the charger-ready program, there were three Ameren programs combined to create two beautiful fast-charging stations in East St. Louis,” Minden said of the project.

He said the stations are intended to encourage electric vehicle use and support investment in lower-income communities.

“If we build it, they will come, people will use them, and really help to transition people into electric vehicles,” Minden said. “Additionally, it is important to focus on our equity investment in low-income communities; we want to make sure some are not left out of the clean energy transition.”

Minden also said the project required coordination among Ameren Illinois and the city of East St. Louis staff.

“So many people had to work together with Ameren to get these different programs; the city of East St. Louis was great, from the city manager to the grant writer, it was a pleasure, so many work on such a beautiful project,” he said.

Ameren Illinois said the project also supports long-term economic development goals by increasing traffic near municipal services and positioning East St. Louis within Illinois’ clean energy economy.

“This partnership shows what’s possible when communities and energy partners work side by side toward a shared vision,” said Keyla Ward, manager of clean energy transition for the Market Development Initiative at Ameren Illinois.

“East St. Louis identified the need, and together we built a pathway to make it real.”

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