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An Aurora alderman has launched a citywide program offering rebates to those who have installed solar panels or electric vehicle charging stations at their homes or businesses.
Ald. Will White, at-large, recently announced that this year he’d be committing up to $10,000 in city funds toward the Aurora Solar and EV Charging Rebate Program. Qualifying residents, businesses and nonprofits can get up to $1,000 for installing solar panels or up to $500 for installing electric vehicle chargers.
“If we all work together towards sustainable living, I think Aurora can really be a frontrunner in the state of Illinois when it comes to energy conservation and energy efficiency,” White told The Beacon-News.
He noted that Aurora already has several high-level initiatives related to sustainability, such as its 2019 Sustainability Plan, the newly-created sustainability division and the planned CEJA Workforce Development Hub. With that in mind, he started to consider how residents could get involved.
So, his Aurora Solar and EV Charging Rebate Program will give residents the opportunity to reduce their own impact on global warming and other negative environmental effects, White said.
Because it is a rebate program, any work should already be complete before an application is made, according to White. To qualify, the work needs to have been done last year or this year, so between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2026, by an electrician or contractor who is licensed by the city and provides evidence of paying prevailing wage, according to the application.
Those who apply must also be in good standing with the city and present a proof of purchase. Plus, they must have obtained all necessary permits, passed required inspections and tried to obtain a quote from a business located within Aurora.
Applications can be found on White’s alderman webpage: yourvoice.aurora.il.us/aldermanatlarge2
“My goal is to have as many people apply now, so towards the end of the year I can explore what this rebate program looks like next year,” he said.
In recent years and particularly under Mayor John Laesch, Aurora has made sustainability a key goal. The city earned a statewide award last year for its commitment to making its fleet of vehicles more sustainable by adding electric and hybrid vehicles, created the first-ever director of sustainability role, started looking into energy stretch code adoption and placed a temporary moratorium on data centers, partially citing environmental reasons.
City staff members are also developing loan programs to support sustainable upgrades for commercial and residential properties. One such program, the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program, commonly called C-PACE, is set to go before the Aurora City Council for final approval Tuesday evening.
Sustainability, particularly through green building, was a large part of Laesch’s campaign platform last year. And when he was previously an alderman at-large, Laesch had a similar rebate program to the one White recently launched.
After Laesch was sworn in as mayor and White was appointed to take his place, White said he heard from people who were interested in seeing Laesch’s program continue, so he made some changes and launched it again.
Aldermen are allocated funds each year from the city’s tax on the local Hollywood Casino to spend on those they represent, and White is committing half of his yearly amount to this program.
As for the rest of the funds, White said he has other initiatives he is exploring. One high on his priority list is permanent supportive housing for the city’s homeless population, he said, and another is centered around job opportunities for those who graduate from the planned CEJA Workforce Development Hub.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
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