(The Center Square) — The Federal Highway Administration has signed off on Georgia’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, opening the door to millions in federal taxpayer dollars for the state.
With this approval, the Georgia Department of Transportation can start planning how the state will spend roughly $130 million to pay for electric vehicle charging infrastructure over the next five years.
Peach State politicians have targeted EV companies to locate facilities in the state, and Georgia officials have announced more than 20 EV-related projects since 2020.
“Complementing Georgia’s success in attracting significant automotive and manufacturing investments, this early approval lays the groundwork for the state to use NEVI program funds to help fill gaps in DC fast charging for the traveling public, primarily in rural and underserved areas,” GDOT Director of Planning Jannine Miller said in an announcement.
The funding is part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which established the NEVI to fund states’ EV charging infrastructure. The feds are doling out $5 billion under the program over the next five years.
Georgia officials brag that the state has the most EV charging stations of any Southeastern state. The Empire State of the South boasts roughly 30,000 EVs and more than 1,300 publicly available EV charging stations with roughly 3,400 individual outlets.
However, an expert previously told The Center Square that if all of Georgia’s 3.3 million licensed drivers converted to an EV, the state would need to install 825,000 charging stations to meet the ideal ratio of one charging station for every four EVs.
Georgia has designated key thoroughfares as Alternative Fuel Corridors where it plans to start installing charging stations. Under the state’s plans, charging stations must be located every 50 miles, within a mile of an exit, publicly accessible 24 hours a day and have at least four ports that can simultaneously charge at 150 kilowatts.
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
