350Green and 7-Eleven help drivers re-charge vehicles in under 30 minutes at Illinois Tollway Oases

Schiller Park - March 29, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and representatives from the Illinois Tollway, 350Green LLC and 7-Eleven, Inc. today announced the availability of the nation's largest network of fast-charging electric vehicle (EV) stations. As part of Governor Quinn's commitment to increasing sustainability across Illinois, the initiative will support the use of electric vehicles and create jobs in sustainable transportation. Motorists can charge an electric vehicle in under 30 minutes using the current fast-chargers at 7-Eleven sites at four Tollway Oasis locations, and will soon be able to charge vehicles at all seven Tollway Oases.

"We want Illinois to be the greenest state in America," Governor Quinn said. "By installing the largest network of cutting edge fast-chargers, Illinois will continue to support green jobs and provide people with environmentally-friendly and affordable travel options."

Through the Chicago-Area EV Infrastructure Project, 26 fast-chargers have been installed, with 73 total fast-chargers planned. Eight of these are currently in place at Tollway Oases along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) at the Des Plaines Oasis and on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) at the Lake Forest Oasis, O'Hare Oasis and Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis. The installations, managed by 350Green, were performed by Chicago-based JNS Power & Control Systems.

"Today, the Tollway is taking steps to ensure that electric vehicle drivers on our roadways have the same convenient access to electricity as other drivers have to fuel," said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. "At the same time, we are continuing our commitment to 'clean and green' technology and making the Tollway a leader in environmental sustainability."

The City of Chicago is overseeing the project's installation of 280 charging stations overall to increase accessibility to EV charging. With a budget of $8.8 million, including $1.9 million in public funding and $6.9 million in private investment, EV stations are being installed mostly in areas with dense residential and worker populations and in high-traffic areas. The overall EV infrastructure project has created approximately 18 jobs and its construction will support 8,500 labor hours.

"This project is an excellent example of Mayor Emanuel's commitment to promoting sustainability throughout the city of Chicago, while maximizing the positive economic impacts and job creation of these efforts," said Karen Weigert, Chief Sustainability Officer at the City of Chicago. "This project represents one of the largest concentrations of fast-charging stations in the world, and is an outstanding example of private investment optimizing value to taxpayers."

"With this announcement, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have the largest and most advanced fast-charging EV infrastructure in the U.S.," said Mariana Gerzanych, co-founder and CEO of 350Green. "Whether you are at a mall, a drugstore or now on the open road, electric vehicle drivers can take comfort in knowing a charging station will be just around the corner."

Partnerships with charging station hosts such as 7-Eleven have been key to the rollout of the network across the state. 7-Eleven convenience stores at four of the Illinois Tollway Oases now have dedicated space for fast-charging stations.

"Our support for electric vehicle charging stations is a perfect fit with our commitment to providing travelers with the things that make their trip more enjoyable - whether it's our coffee, energy drinks or variety of fresh food products we offer at our stores," said 7-Eleven Market Manager Tim Hale. "Now we offer the most advanced charging technology to people driving the most advanced vehicles."

Before plugging in to one of the Tollway's fast-chargers, drivers must purchase a payment card from 350Green (www.350Green.com/cards). The $21 card includes three 15-minute sessions at fast-charging stations.

The Chicago-Area EV Infrastructure Project is funded in part by the state's Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan and Clean Cities Grant funds that the city of Chicago received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The project is one of several initiatives now underway in Illinois to promote the adoption and use of electric vehicles.

The Illinois Jobs Now! plan includes up to $10 million in capital funding for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to award EV manufacturing and infrastructure incentives, which will begin rolling out this spring. In July 2011, Governor Quinn signed the Electric Vehicle Act to form the Illinois Electric Vehicle Advisory Council, a group of public- and private-sector electric vehicle stakeholders collaborating to develop policies and programs that support EVs.

In addition, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) offers the Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program, which provides a rebate of up to $4,000 toward EV purchases (www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/fuels/ ).  The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) also launched a Plug-in Electric Vehicle Initiative (PEV) Initiative to explore regulatory issues related to EV deployment (www.icc.illinois.gov/Electricity/PEV.aspx ).

About 350Green

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, 350Green is a project developer that designs, builds and operates a scalable, nationwide network of electric vehicle (E.V.) charging stations. The company partners with retailers, commercial property managers and developers, and municipalities to locate charging stations at places near where E.V. drivers live and work. Current projects are underway in Illinois, California, Washington, D.C., New York, Indiana and Pennsylvania. The company has signed partnerships with Walgreens and Simon Property Group, among others. More information is available at www.350green.com.

About 7-Eleven

7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 9,100 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are approximately 45,600 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include : #2 on Forbes magazine's 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list for 2009, #3 in Forbes magazine's Top 20  Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics.  7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.

About Illinois Tollway

The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80).

Proposal strengthens information sharing and encourages private sector innovation

Washington, DC - U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Coats (R-IN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Richard Burr (R-NC) today introduced the Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information, and Technology Act (SECURE IT), their proposal to protect and secure our nation against cybersecurity attacks.

"The SECURE IT Act strengthens America's cybersecurity by promoting collaboration and information-sharing, updating our criminal laws to account for the growing cyber threat and enhancing research programs to protect our critical networks," said Senator John McCain. "This legislation will help us begin to meet the very real threat of cyber attack."

"We are all in agreement that we need to make our nation's cybersecurity a top priority. I believe we have come up with a strong common sense approach that will help prevent the spread of cyberattacks from network to network and across the Internet, by removing barriers to sharing information about threats, attacks, and strategies for improvement," Senator Hutchison said.  "Our bill focuses on giving businesses the tools they need to protect themselves from the looming threat of cyber criminals, and increased requirements for notification of threats to federal agencies."

"As our nation faces increasing cyber attacks in a critical economic environment, we must ensure that the private sector has the authority it needs to defend its own networks and share cyber threat information to prevent future attacks," Senator Chambliss said. "Now is not the time for Congress to be adding more government, more regulation, and more debt - especially when it is far from clear that any of it will enhance our security. Our bill offers the right solution to improving our nation's cybersecurity by encouraging collaboration, investment, and innovation."

"Our bill represents a new way forward in protecting the American people and the country's cyber infrastructure from attack.  It's a bill that can be supported by all partners that have an interest in cybersecurity. Instead of the heavy hand of the government, our approach promotes information sharing and keeps the taxpayers' wallets close," said Senator Grassley.

"Rather than arming Homeland Security with expansive new regulatory authority over every sector of our economy, the SECURE IT cyber bill we've introduced today emphasizes a partnership approach between the government and private entities. By focusing on those areas like information sharing where bipartisan agreement is achievable, we can tackle the cyber issue in a meaningful and constructive way," said Sen. Murkowski.

"After September 11, we broke down the barriers to information sharing and provided our intelligence and law enforcement professionals with the tools they need to keep us safe.  Today, we must break down similar barriers that exist in cyber security to respond to the increasing number of attacks against private companies and the federal government," said Senator Coats. "The SECURE IT Act will enable robust information sharing without creating costly layers of government bureaucracy or imposing new regulatory burdens on American businesses."

"This bill recognizes that industry is at the center of any solution. It's a sensible step forward that allows industry to invest in innovation and job creation rather than compliance. Imposing a costly and bureaucratic regulatory regime is the wrong approach to national security. New regulations will slow down innovation and investment while companies wait years for the government to introduce outdated standards," said Sen. Johnson. "The regulatory process simply cannot keep up with the rapid pace of technology."

"Cyber security is essential to our national security, and this bill takes a step in the right direction to ensure that our nation has the proper defenses in place to address threats to our nation's systems and infrastructure.   This bill takes fiscally responsible measures to protect against cyber threats by enhancing research and development, updating enforcement tools and penalties to reflect current threats, and promoting voluntary information sharing between the public and private sector without creating unnecessary bureaucracy or regulations," said Senator Burr.

Co-sponsors of the proposal are U.S. Sens. John McCain, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Saxby Chambliss, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Dan Coats, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and Ron Johnson, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, and Richard Burr, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

The SECURE IT Act will:

·         Improve cybersecurity by collaborating with industry and eliminating barriers to enhanced information sharing.

·         Create expedited information sharing for private sector using existing structures and reporting relationships.

·         Require federal contractors who provide telecommunications or cybersecurity services for the federal government to report to the government cyber threat information related to those services.

·         Strengthen criminal statutes for cyber crimes.

·         Update the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and preserve the roles of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Commerce in disseminating security standards for the federal government.

·         Leverage and strengthen existing programs in cybersecurity research and development.

Here is a copy of the text of Grassley's statement at today's press conference.

The group you see here today saw a need to develop cybersecurity protections that focused on avoiding new federal government bureaucracies, reforming existing programs, and not adding additional, burdensome regulations that may stifle innovation and growth in the private sector.

We felt the best approach was to focus on strengthening Cybersecurity defenses. We do this by coordinating the public and private sectors to work together.  Creating a collaborative partnership between the private sector and the federal government will foster an information sharing system that helps detect, eliminate, and prevent cyber threats.  Our legislation is something that all partners involved in protecting our cyber networks can fully stand behind.

As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, I have focused my involvement on the criminal law provisions, legal barriers to information sharing, civil liberty and privacy protections, as well as whistleblower protections.

Our bill will break down the legal barriers, such as antitrust and liability issues.  In the past, these barriers prohibited business and industry from sharing cyber threat information with the government or industry partners.  The bill includes provisions to ensure that confidentiality and personal privacy are engrained in the information sharing.  It also includes a provision ensuring that no preexisting whistleblower protection law is changed by this legislation.  We also update criminal statutes and streamline the existing, confusing penalty structure in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.  And, it reins in prosecutions.  These prosecutions have raised concerns by advocates on both sides of the political spectrum.  If left unchanged, they could lead to average citizens being prosecuted as federal felons.

Beyond the Judiciary Committee provisions, and very importantly, our legislation adheres to our core principle of keeping the government's regulatory reach out of the private sector.  We avoid complicated regulatory regimes that will stifle innovation and job growth.

Our approach has been laid out for many months.  It achieves consensus and can gain the support of many Senators.

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Low Broadband Adoption Threatens to Separate Seniors from Critical Services

Des Moines, IA - Today, Connect Iowa is releasing a new report focusing on technology adoption and use by Iowa's senior citizens. The report, titled Iowa's Silent Generation: Resilient, More Experienced, but Disconnected, gives an in-depth look at the challenges Iowa seniors face in embracing the technology that can deeply impact their quality of life. Lack of broadband adoption is particularly alarming as a growing number of services and opportunities migrate online.

High-speed Internet is becoming increasingly important for access to government services, healthcare resources, and countless other personal tasks like banking, shopping, and communicating with family and friends. The issue of elderly technology adoption is especially important in Iowa because the state has the sixth largest share of residents over the age of 70 in the nation, but the senior broadband adoption rate is slightly below the national average.

The new Connect Iowa research shows:

• While nearly three out of four Iowans (72%) age 18-54 subscribe to home broadband service, only 63% of Iowans age 55-69 subscribe to broadband.

• A mere 27% of Iowans age 70 and older subscribe to broadband.

• Approximately 260,000 elderly Iowans (age 70 and older) are not benefiting from broadband.

• 47% of Iowans age 70+ (approximately 169,000) do not own a computer.

Iowa's elderly technology statistics grow even more troublesome when factors like disabilities, living alone, or living in rural areas are taken into consideration. The report also found a disturbing "gray gap" when looking at the number of seniors who make use of mobile broadband technology through devices like smart phones and digital tablets.

The new report sheds light on the many barriers seniors point to for not using broadband. Thirty-nine percent say they simply don't understand how broadband is relevant to their lives; 24% say digital literacy is their problem and they don't know how to use a computer or the Internet. However, of those Iowans over age 70 who do subscribe to home Internet service, 56% say they go online on a daily basis.

"Broadband offers Iowa's senior citizens new power and independence," says Connect Iowa Program Manager Amy Kuhlers. "With an interactive link to family and friends, as well as increased access to healthcare information and services, broadband is empowering them to live more independently while enabling them to engage more fully with society."

Connect Iowa is actively working to bridge the technology "gray gap" in Iowa to ensure all seniors have access to the life-enhancing and lifesaving applications and services made possible by a home broadband subscription. Increasing broadband usage among these Iowans now can help many Iowans live longer, healthier, more independent lives.

Anyone with an interest in bringing better broadband to local homes and businesses is encouraged to join in the Connect Iowa community planning effort. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Amy Kuhlers at akuhlers@connectiowa.org or 515-421-2561.

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About Connect Iowa: Connect Iowa is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates as a nonprofit in the state of Iowa to promote broadband access, adoption, and use. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is leading the initiative to increase broadband Internet access throughout rural Iowa. Connect Iowa was commissioned by the state to work with all broadband providers in Iowa to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and develop a statewide plan for the deployment and adoption of broadband. For more information visit: www.connectiowa.org.

CARBONDALE - February 15, 2012. As a statewide voice for Southern Illinois, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon is urging rural residents to participate in a new online survey about high-speed internet usage that launched today and will help create jobs, improve medical care and enhance educational opportunities.

Unlike past surveys that simply looked at internet access, this statewide poll will reach out to households, farmers, businesses and anchor institutions, such as community colleges and hospitals, to learn how they put broadband to use now and their needs moving forward.

The 20-minute survey includes questions about preferred internet devices, frequent web activities such as research, workforce training and buying or selling of goods, and the importance of broadband to job retention and expansion.

"Rural Illinoisans need affordable, high-speed internet access to land new employers, expand educational opportunities and improve health care," said Simon, who chairs the Governor's Rural Affairs Council. "I encourage my neighbors in Southern Illinois to participate in this research project to ensure that we are a part of the state's broadband strategy and can compete in the 21st century economy."

The survey is being conducted by Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a Springfield nonprofit, enlisted by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) as part of the High-Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Act of 2007 to guide local, state and federal policymakers. The results will be used to develop broadband plans in several categories: agriculture, energy and the environment, economic development, education, health care, public safety and government performance.

Illinois is already working with its federal and private sector partners to improve current broadband infrastructure. In his State of the State address, Governor Pat Quinn announced the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge, a $6 million statewide competition funded by the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program. It will provide seed money to private and public organizations that expand broadband networks and connect at least 1,000 end-users to ultra-high speed Internet.

Simon said it is crucial for rural Illinoisans to compete in the challenge and complete the survey, as they represent the communities that can benefit most from high-speed internet. Nearly one-fifth of the land area in Illinois lacks any broadband access, and eight of the 10 counties with the least access to broadband in the state are in Southern Illinois. Many suffer from slow speeds.

Similar surveys have been conducted recently in Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia. A 2010 North Carolina survey of 6,266 businesses showed that 17.5 percent of new jobs created over a 12-month period were attributed to the use of the internet and that 32 percent of those businesses consider access to mobile internet essential to their operations.

Partnership for a Connected Illinois, also known as Broadband Illinois, is working with organizations such as the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University and state agencies such as DCEO and the Illinois State Board of Education to distribute the survey to internet users throughout the state.

"A major goal of this survey is to ensure that residents of rural Illinois will have access to better broadband," said Drew Clark, executive director of Partnership for a Connected Illinois. "By developing a statewide strategy for better broadband, we're creating a future that includes enhanced economic opportunities, increased availability of educational tools, and higher-quality health care for Illinois residents."

The online survey is open to the public and can be accessed at www.broadbandillinois.org.

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