(The Center Square) — Georgia ranked 32nd for its progress on transportation electrification.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s 2023 State Transportation Electrification Scorecard assesses states’ policies to promote electric vehicle adoption.
While the Peach State “has made some progress in overall transportation electrification outcomes,” the state declined in rank — from 27 to 32 — and points — from 18 to 15.5 — since ACEEE’s last assessment.
“The state has some good transportation electrification outcomes, with 282 light-duty EVs per capita, which is higher than the national average of 260,” Peter Huether, senior research associate at ACEEE and the report’s lead author, said in an email. “Georgia has installed a higher-than-average number of direct current fast charger ports per capita, with 3.5 ports per 100,000 people (the national average is 3.0).
“However, given Georgia’s considerable subsidies to bring EV manufacturing to the state, it could improve significantly on a number of fronts, including having a comprehensive EV plan with EV and EV charging infrastructure targets, having EV registration fees that are more in line with taxes and fees for gasoline-powered vehicles, providing more incentives to support EV purchases, and instituting policies to reduce electricity and transportation emissions statewide,” Huether added. “The state can do more to support electric school buses by requiring school districts to purchase them and by providing funding, both of which could help support the electric school bus manufacturing industry already developing in the state.”
State officials have prioritized attracting EV manufacturers and related companies for economic development.
Last year, the Federal Highway Administration approved Georgia’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan. With the approval, the Georgia Department of Transportation can determine how to spend roughly $130 million for EV charging infrastructure over the next five years.
“EV suppliers throughout the state have now more than doubled the initial investment estimate made for these important parts of our growing e-mobility ecosystem,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said in prepared remarks for a Tuesday groundbreaking of Anovion Technologies’ manufacturing facility in Bainbridge. “Those EV suppliers, alone, have now committed over 2 billion dollars to all parts of the state.”
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
