CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — Coastal Carolina University and Santee Cooper have partnered together to install 13 new electric vehicle charging stations on campus.
The partnership comes through a $25,000 grant program.
Over the next five years, South Carolina will receive close to $70 million through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which aims to expand the electric vehicle charging in the state.
According to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, there are more than 13,000 electric cars registered in the state, compared to 4.5 million other vehicles.
There are about 230 public charging stations between Myrtle Beach, Conway and North Myrtle Beach, with 33 of those being added in just the last three months, according to Plug Share.
Some officials say Myrtle Beach is set up in a unique way that allows for more privately-owned versus federally-owned charging stations.
“Coastal Carolina is really working hard to be as sustainable as we can currently and long into the future,” said Steve Harrison, a CCU official. “We’re excited that our students and our faculty and staff are pushing us forward all the time.”
South Carolina has federal funding for electric car charging stations, but it’s only for alternative fuel corridors.
“And in South Carolina, that just means it’s our interstate highways,” Evan Renshaw said. “Obviously, there’s not one of those in the Myrtle Beach region except for I-95, which is obviously a bit away.”
One of the main concerns the conservation voters of South Carolina have for the area is evacuation routes, as Highway 501 is not considered an alternative fuel corridor.
“So, if there’s not charging stations along that route, people that are in EVs that need to evacuate in case of a hurricane or storm might struggle to do so,” Renshaw said. “So, I think that the private investment really helps fill those gaps. Especially in the Myrtle Beach area, where there’s not necessarily the state or federal funding, that’s an even bigger opportunity for businesses and for companies to put in their own chargers.”
The conservation voters hope to get an alternative fuels tax credit bill passed in the senate. The bill would expand the existing 25% tax credit for propane and natural gas fueling infrastructure to electric vehicle infrastructure.
It would also allow those who want to install a public EV charger to get the tax credit as well.
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Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here.