Utilities: Infrastructure of Tomorrow

Meeting Demand: Stan Cross, electric transportation director for Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Photo credit: Steve Widoff

Georgia utility companies are increasingly getting into the business of infrastructure with the expansion of broadband and electric vehicle (EV) charging leading to new, game-changing economic development opportunity and efficiency. Thanks to new policies and funding avenues, public service companies and their partners can deliver more powerful connections and capacity for individuals, businesses and communities in the state.

There is still much work to be done, however. While Georgia leads the nation in EV-related manufacturing investment and employment, it lags behind in EV usage. The number of electric membership corporations (EMCs) getting into the broadband expansion business has increased exponentially, but more than 100,000 residents live in areas that are still unserved by high-speed internet.

Grant Recipient: Wes Clifton owns the Shell gas station in Metter that was chosen to be the site of an EV charging station and received federal funding. Photo credit: Frank Fortune

Twenty-five of Georgia’s 41 EMCs were involved in broadband expansion projects as of fourth quarter of 2024, a huge difference from only five years ago. At mid-year 2024, their high-speed internet development projects represented an investment exceeding $896 million; by the time they are completed, the investment will total more than $1 billion, according to Georgia Electric Membership Corp., a trade association. As of October, the largely fiber-based EMC projects have made high-speed broadband service available to approximately 80,000 subscribers and more than 267,000 locations.

“This success is largely due to the passage of Senate Bill 2 in 2019 that provided EMCs the legal authority to engage in broadband services and allows them the flexibility to choose what business model works best in their community,” whether it’s direct service through an affilate company or through a partnership or other infrastructure-sharing agreement with a third party, says Dennis Chastain, president and CEO of Georgia EMC. “Prior to Senate Bill 2, only two EMCs in Georgia were providing broadband services to their communities.”

In 2023, Georgia had nearly 205,000 unserved addresses with about 90% of those in rural areas, according to the Georgia Broadband Map. The Georgia Technology Authority has updated the number of unserved and unfunded locations at just over 120,000, citing progress made through the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, U.S. Department of Agriculture ReConnect Program, American Rescue Plan Act-authorized COVID-19 recovery funds and other recent investments.

Flexible Business Model: Dennis Chastain, president and CEO of Georgia Electric Membership Corporation. Photo credit: contributed

Each wave of broadband expansion means more Georgians with affordable and efficient access to education, healthcare and government services, and more. The impact goes beyond the numbers to powerful personal stories.

One customer of GreyStone Connect, a GreyStone Power subsidiary, lost the ability to speak after throat cancer. Adding to the adversity, the Fulton County technology professional, who chose to remain anonymous, worried about job security as his work required talking to customers via video calls. The good news was that the member could perform his job functions with the help of a special microphone, but reliable, high-speed internet was absolutely crucial for that functionality.

“We rushed up our [fiber-optic internet] install for this member to provide the services he needs for his microphone to work and he is now back to work full-time,” says GreyStone Connect’s Executive Vice President of Broadband Eric Lannen. “These are real, life-changing events happening with GreyStone Connect. We are focused on providing our members in underserved areas this kind of transformative service, so they have the same if not better services as urban areas.”

Having activated its first customer in February 2024, GreyStone Connect had exceeded its annual projections for network expansion by 30% (a total of 650 miles) and member activation by more than 56% (1,250-plus) by late October.

EV Charging Expansion

Providing Crucial Services: Eric Lannen, vice president of broadband services at GreyStone Power, left, celebrates John Martin (right) as GreyStone Connect’s first customer. Photo credit: contributed

Georgia has a leading role in electric vehicle manufacturing, which includes $24.4 billion in investment that is anticipated to deliver more than 27,000 jobs. Now a new EV front is opening up thanks to incentives from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Stemming from the 2021 law, the Georgia National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Deployment Program aims to facilitate a network of EV charging stations across the state. Georgia’s share from the national initiative is approximately $135 million.

A Shell gas station in Metter, the county seat of Candler County, has been chosen as one of the five eligible sites in the first round of funding for Georgia NEVI deployment. The grant makes way for four new direct current fast-charging (DCFC) stations, which are designed to support long distance travel.

Gaining Popularity: Hannah Mullins, president and CEO of Candler County Industrial Authority, at a Metter EV charging station. Photo credit: Frank Fortune

“Despite fierce competition, my location and the presence of nearby walkable businesses were decisive factors in securing the NEVI grant,” says Wes Clifton, owner of Shell Super Stop Gas Station, about a grant process that began with a meeting with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Georgia Power in Atlanta. “I am honored to receive the grant and eagerly anticipate contributing to the EV movement.”

Scott Wood, who became Metter’s interim city manager in September, adds, “We are proud to join the NEVI network and provide services along Interstate 16. This expands our community’s inventory of EV charging stations, offering convenient, reliable and affordable charging solutions for both travelers and our local community.”

Metter is currently on an electric roll. Located about 60 miles west of the Savannah port and even closer to the Hyundai Metaplant, Metter is welcoming more than $65 million in investment and 500 new jobs from suppliers preparing to serve the $5.54 billion manufacturing center, which began production on electric cars and batteries in 2024.

“Now that we have been fortunate enough to land two Tier-1 Hyundai suppliers, our EV presence is putting us at the forefront of headlines,” says Hannah Mullins, president and CEO of Candler County Industrial Authority in Metter. “With Metter having one of the first EV charging stations on I-16, we have become an even more popular pit stop than before.”

Tifton, Fort Valley, Dublin and Brunswick are the other Round 1 Georgia NEVI sites. According to GDOT, each charging station will offer a minimum of four high-power DCFC ports (150 kilowatts). The stations will be positioned every 50 miles along the state’s “alternative fuel corridor” within one mile of the EV route.

Mixed Signals

Updating Infrastructure: A Washington EMC employee installs fiber to bring high-speed internet to the region. Photo credit: Washington EMC

While Georgia utilities have a green light for infrastructure projects, policy inconsistencies and alignment challenges remain. For example, despite ranking No. 1 nationally for EV manufacturing investment and jobs, Georgia only holds the No. 22 position for EV market share and No. 14 for EV charging availability per capita, according to an October research report by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).

“This creates tension: On the one hand, Georgia politicians want the investments and jobs, but on the other, they are unwilling to help Georgians and the state’s fleets switch to EVs even though they are cheaper to operate, cleaner to drive and are increasingly made in Georgia,” says Stan Cross, electric transportation director for SACE, adding that multiple taxes on EV drivers can amount to more than $300 per year, “far more than drivers pay in gas tax to support roads and bridges.”

On the innovation side, Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility that serves more than 2.7 million customers, is testing multiple EV technological advancements on the market, allowing the company to learn their impacts on the grid, battery performance, system costs and more. Depending on the needs placed on the system, the managed vehicle charging pilot program passively and actively manages EVs for enrolled residential customers by shifting usage to off-peak hours. The electric utility’s “2nd life” battery project takes four Model 3 batteries that are past their useful lifespan but still have capacity to help supply power to EV chargers, which helps reduce their energy demand during peak usage times.

Building a Network: Southern Rivers Energy, in partnership with Conexon’s internet service provider Connect, installs a fiber hut. Southern Rivers Energy

Georgia Power ranks third among the Southeast’s investor-owned utilities in EV infrastructure investments. However, the utility’s $30 investment per customer in EV charging-related incentives and equipment ranks below the national average of $38 per customer, and Georgia Power has yet to make any new investments in the past 18 months, according to SACE.

“The most crucial action utilities and state regulators can take today is to plan for the rapidly expanding EV market,” Cross states. “Cars, trucks and buses are electrifying, and utilities must prepare to meet transportation’s growing electricity demand. Through thoughtful transportation electrification planning with industry stakeholders, utilities can identify strategies for managing EV charging demand while avoiding building new power plants, thus saving ratepayers money.”

The future remains bright for Georgia in this new chapter of greater infrastructure collaboration and capability. It can be seen in the dollars coming into the state, the miles of fiber installed and overall increased connectivity. And EV consumer appetite remains strong: Despite tax impediments, sales increased 35% last year.