City of Warner Robins unveils new electric vehicle charging stations

WARNER ROBINS – The city of Warner Robins hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of their electric vehicle charging stations on South Armed Forces Boulevard.

During the ceremony, Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said the installation was a milestone in the city’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote energy efficiency.

The project was made possible by a $135,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation block grant program. Patrick said Councilman Clifford Holmes and Community and Economic Development Director Kate Hogan played an instrumental part in bringing the chargers to the city. 

Representatives from Flint Energies and the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition were also present at the ceremony. Flint Energies contributed $50,000 and Middle Georgia Air Coalition contributed another $5,000 to the charging stations.

Patrick said it is part of the city’s efforts to be sustainable; the charging stations not only provide convenience for residents but also reduces carbon footprint.

“By promoting the use of electric vehicles, we are helping Warner Robins transition to cleaner forms of transportation, improving air quality and paving the way for a brighter future,” she said.

Patrick said she wants to lay the foundation for a future where the city is a leader in energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and environmental responsibility. 

She also said South Armed Forces Boulevard has been a forgotten area in the city, but they plan to revive it, starting with the EV chargers. 

Mayor Patrick hopes the charging station will bring more people to South Armed Forces Boulevard and it is the first investment in the area. The area is also a part of the city’s downtown redevelopment initiative. 

Flint Energies CEO Jeremy Nelms also spoke at the ceremony and said electrified transportation is not just a hobby in the state. 

He also shared statistics during the ceremony and said since 2018, there has been $28 billion worth of investment from manufacturers and assembly plants. He said these suppliers are supporting electric vehicle producers in the state. According to Nelms, 36,000 jobs have been created as part of the supply chain. 

“I’m really excited about what is happening with electrified transportation here in the state of Georgia and in the southeast. To be honest, I work for a electric utility. I’m pretty excited about the industry itself,” he said. 

Nelms also shared EV chargers removes an obstacle for electrified transportation. He said the amount of EV registrations in the county has grown 40 percent year after year. Flint Energies is working with builders in the county and launching an EV Ready Homes program. 

Patrick shared the city’s goal is to not only expand options for those who drive EVs, but also to bring more people to the area of the city.

“We’re hoping to see people come with their electric vehicles, sit here, park, charge and walk around and enjoy some of the restaurants that are right here on Armed Forces Boulevard and other shops. We have different shops that are already here,” she said. “We also want to see more people that’s going to expand the options for shops and restaurants on Armed Forces Boulevard and we’re hoping with the foot traffic that we are going to be receiving we’re going to see more and more consumer foot traffic here.”