More than 100 EV charging stations slated to be built around Middle Georgia

A large and somewhat cryptic sign first appeared at the corner of Ga. 57 and US 441 in Irwinton earlier this spring.

The sign reads “PROJECT FUNDED BY President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” accommodated by a series of logos underneath the text.

No one at the local government level seemed to know much, so the Times-Journal-Post submitted an inquiry to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Tennille office. A regional communications specialist in Tennille then conveyed that the sign was touting a series of electrical vehicle charging stations slated to be built around Georgia, including several in Wilkinson County, which confirmed previous social media chatter. The media specialist also sent over a link to a PDF previously put together by the Georgia Department of Transportation. The EV charging stations, according to the DOT plan, are “derived from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The goal…is to deploy a national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations…Georgia’s allotment from the formula program is approximately $135 million.”

The Times Journal Post then reached out to the Georgia DOT’s statewide office in Atlanta. Community Specialist Natalie Dale responded, confirming the news but saying that the Middle Georgia Regional Commission (MGRC) would be better equipped to answer media questions. The MGRC, as it turns out, is the administrator of a $15 million grant that aims “to install 234 EV chargers across 111 sites to expand access to EV charging in rural and disadvantaged communities” in Middle Georgia.

Attempts to interview MGRC Executive Director Laura Mathis were unsuccessful. Although the MGRC didn’t respond, more information can be gleaned from a previous press release from Sen. John Ossoff’s office, which references “Allentown, Irwinton, Toomsboro and Gordon.” The press release, dated Aug. 26, 2024, stated that “Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock and Rep. Bishop are delivering $15 million to the Middle Georgia Regional Commission, which plans to install over 200 publicly available EV chargers across Middle Georgia, including in Milledgeville, Macon, Lizella, Roberta, Warner Robins, Bonaire, Centerville, Kathleen, Perry, Gray, Culloden, Juliette, Forsyth, Byron, Fort Valley, Hawkinsville, Eatonton, Jeffersonville, Allentown, Irwinton, Toomsboro, and Gordon.”

The timetable and logistics are still a little fuzzy, so the Times Journal Post will continue to track the story moving forward.

Currently, depending on where you live in Wilkinson County, the closest EV charging stations are in Macon (roughly two dozen stations), Milledgeville (four stations) and Dublin (two stations), according to the United States Department of Energy’s online database.