August 1, 2024
Starkville Utilities is charged about the future—and that’s just how electric vehicle drivers will feel when a new EV fast-charging station opens in downtown Starkville.
Construction of a ChargePoint charging station is underway in the city-owned parking lot near the intersection of Lampkin and Jackson streets. The fast-charging station will be equipped with two ports that can charge two vehicles simultaneously.
“Our new EV charging station is another step into the future as we prepare to serve Starkville’s changing transportation needs,” said Edward Kemp, general manager of Starkville Utilities. “It’s all part of our commitment to invest in ongoing infrastructure upgrades that ensure Starkville is a convenient, accessible destination point for all travelers, no matter what mode of transportation they use.”
The $216,000 project was funded primarily by a $150,000 grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Fast Charge Network Program, which supports efforts to increase EV usage and better enable long-distance EV travel in the Southeast.
The project also received a $48,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, with the remaining balance of approximately $18,000 covered in the utilities’ capital improvement budget.
Starkville Utilities was among the first to invest in local fast-charging technology and in 2019 installed stations behind the Hotel Chester in downtown Starkville and outside of the Starkville Sportsplex. The city worked with Seven States Power Corporation to determine ideal charging locations based on traffic patterns and local amenities.
“We get regular requests from visitors to Starkville for fast chargers in areas where they enjoy spending time,” Kemp said. “Strategically locating a new station downtown helps fill that need and allows travelers to eat, shop and explore while waiting for their vehicles to charge.”
In recent years, EV usage has steadily increased across the nation and region. Around 1.6 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2023—a 60% jump from the 1 million sold nationwide in 2022.
In the Southeast region, new light-duty EV sales grew 50% from July 2022 to June 2023, representing nearly 470,000 sales.
Through partnerships with Starkville Utilities and other local power companies, TVA plans to establish a network of fast chargers every 50 miles along regional interstates and major highways, in addition to public fast chargers along EV corridor gaps.
The state of Mississippi is also working to increase the number of EV charging stations with $50 million in federal funding over the next five years to build new stations along the state’s busiest highways.
The construction contract for Starkville’s newest charging station was awarded to JMM Farm & Company in Pontotoc. The ChargePoint station is expected to be operational in early fall.
“We’re not only building fast-charging stations in Starkville—we’re also supplying electricity to power the growing number of EVs on the road,” Kemp said. “As electrification of the transportation sector increases, we’re focused on preparing the grid to deliver safe, reliable, low-cost electricity to meet our customers’ current and future energy needs, including their electric vehicles.”
Starkville Utilities is a public utility serving 14,000 residences, businesses and industries in Starkville, Mississippi as well as Mississippi State University. Its mission is to supply safe, reliable, and cost-effective electric and water service of superior quality and value that improves the lives of its customers.