Broadband

In our modern internet-enabled era, fast and reliable broadband has become essential to business, education, health care, agriculture, and overall quality of life. Broadband is particularly important for small businesses that rely on online platforms for sales or social media for advertising and promotion. It is also critical to support remote workers, who now have the freedom to locate in smaller, more rural areas. In addition, school children need an internet connection at home to receive assignments or attend school remotely. Unfortunately, high-speed internet is inaccessible to many in the RVCCD project area. This is yet another factor that encourages out-migration and hinders small business growth. Communities in the study area recognized the importance of broadband access, with the Cusseta-Chattahoochee Comprehensive Plan identifying internet improvements as the community’s number one need.60

Recognizing the importance of making broadband available to all Georgians, in 2018 the Georgia General Assembly passed the Achieving

Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act. Among other things, the act created the Georgia Broadband Initiative,c which calls for the promotion and deployment of broadband services throughout the state to unserved areas, with a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. A groundbreaking map created by the UGA Carl Institute of Government shows the extent of current broadband service and informs the strategic deployment of resources to expand access.61 c More information about the Georgia Broadband Initiative is available at: https://broadband.georgia.gov/ https://opb.georgia.gov/capital-projects-fund

Buena Vista is currently the only city in the region with access to high-speed internet, and Marion County has received the state’s Broadband Ready designation. These steps open the way for greater development in these areas. Other communities in the region are also working to enhance broadband access. As more state and federal resources become available, UGA and the RVCCD team will be available to help these communities access those opportunities to promote a compatible style of economic development in this region.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The exponential growth of e-mobility in Georgia reflects a transformation for our economy, environment, and citizens not seen in generations. Georgia currently leads the nation with anticipated electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing jobs, becoming the heart of what the Wall Street Journal describes as America’s new “battery belt.”63 Now, the state is leading efforts to build out a charging network to meet demand. Rural communities across the state see providing EV charging as way to be part of this statewide connectivity — and, crucially, as a way to bring economic development to their communities.64

Installing charging stations could quite literally put the communities in this region on the map, as EV drivers often rely on maps such as ChargeHub, PlugShare, and OpenChargeMap to find places to charge. Meanwhile, having EV charging in these rural areas will also further support Fort Moore’s resiliency goals, as it is currently transitioning its nontactical fleet to EVs. As personnel from Fort Moore travel across the landscape, finding places to charge outside of the installation will be critical. For these reasons, the design renderings for the RVCCD communities incorporate EV charging into the cities’ downtown planning.

The RVCCD planning team has also assisted local leaders and staff with finding resources to support public EV charging, setting the stage for engagement with local electric membership corporations (EMCs) like Flint Energies and the state’s largest electric utility, Georgia Power. Again, investing in infrastructure that brings visitors downtown is a primary way to further compatible use goals, and EV charging is yet another opportunity to find a “win-win” approach that supports local economic development and Fort Moore’s mission.

DEFENSE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT PROGRAM: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

The Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot (DCIP) program provides grant funding to assist state and local governments and not-for-profit, member-owned utilities in addressing deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation. For this DOD grant program, “community infrastructure” includes projects related to transportation; schools; hospitals; police, fire, or emergency response, or other community support facilities; and utility projects, which include water, wastewater, telecommunications, and electric and natural gas facilities. The program has the following eligibility requirements:

• Projects must be on land located off of a military installation or on property under the jurisdiction of a secretary of a military department that is subject to a real estate agreement allowing the project or facility to be located on military property (including a lease or easement).

• Projects must support a military installation.

• The infrastructure must be owned by a state, local government, or a not-for-profit, member-owned utility service.

• Projects must be endorsed by the installation commander representing the installation benefitting from the proposed project.

• Ground-disturbing work must not yet have commenced.

• Projects must be construction-ready.