Staff Report
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – As automakers retool their factories to build electric vehicles (EVs), many more EVs will be on the roadways in the next decade.
Scottsboro Electric Power Board (SEPB) is helping to make sure Alabama is ready with charging infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, SEPB announced that it had installed two (2) fast chargers at their main office located at 404 E. Willow Street through a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), and Seven States Power Corporation. This fast charger installation is part of the regional Fast Charge Network that will cover major travel corridors across TVA’s seven-state service area and will complement the broader efforts of the National Electric Highway Coalition, which seeks to enable long-distance EV travel by placing fast chargers along interstates and major highways throughout the United States.
“We moved quickly to participate in the Fast Charge Network because we want to make it easy for people to choose EVs so our community can enjoy the environmental and economic benefits of electric transportation,” said Phillip Chaney, General Manager with SEPB. “The funding from TVA and ADECA makes it possible to add fast chargers in our community by providing 100% of the project cost.”
TVA has brought together local power companies, state and local government partners, and others to pave the way for over 200,000 EVs on Tennessee Valley roads by 2028. The benefits these EVs bring to the Tennessee Valley region are significant, including:
– Attracting high-quality jobs – $17.2 billion in EV and battery manufacturing has helped create over 14,000 EV-related jobs in the past 10 years.
– Reducing carbon emissions from gasoline vehicles by almost 1 million metric tons per year or the equivalent of the carbon sequestered by 1 million acres of U.S. forests in one year.
– Reinvesting $120 million in the local economy every year from electric refueling.
– Saving drivers up to $1,000 in fuel and maintenance costs every year.
“TVA is excited to partner with local power companies like Scottsboro Electric Power Board and ADECA to invest in charging infrastructure across the Tennessee Valley region,” said Jared Mitchem, TVA regional vice president. “These investments allow TVA to save drivers money and attract good jobs and tourism– all powered by electricity from TVA and your local power company.”
“Seven States is trusted by local power companies across the Tennessee Valley to deliver EV charging technology for their consumers,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. “Impactful partnerships like this benefit the local community, regional economy and global environment for years to come.”
“This charging location does more than charge cars — it connects Scottsboro and Jackson County to the Fast Charge Network and plays an important role in putting our region on the leading edge of the new electric economy,” said Chaney.
To learn more about the Fast Charge Network, calculate how much money an EV could save you, or locate EV charging stations on your travel route, check out https://energyright.com/ev/.
