On Friday, the state of Kentucky said it would partner with the Appalachian Regional Commission to study the future of electric aircraft charging at airports in Appalachia.
The partnership will also include Ohio, Ohio University, North Carolina, North Carolina State University, Appalachian airport officials and research partners. The group will focus on using a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to prepare general aviation airports in Appalachia for the future of electric aircraft.
Officials said the team will evaluate needs at 36 general aviation airports, half of which are in Kentucky. The team will also use grant funding to expand aviation in the region.
“Kentucky is already the electric vehicle battery production capital of the world, and by participating in this project we’re working to become a leader in the aircraft industry of the future,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “By bringing new jobs, technologies and industries to Kentucky we’re making sure our children never have to leave home to chase their dreams.”
Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ARISE grant allows multi-state collaborative projects that focus on strengthening economic opportunities. Researchers at the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service (GVS) and the Institute of Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University will spearhead the yearlong project to identify the utilities and infrastructure electric aircraft will need at the airports located in Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina. The information will help researchers develop models for financing and implementation that will be needed to upgrade the airports not only in the participating states, but all across Appalachia.
“Appalachia’s more than 230 public general aviation airports must be prepared to support the operational needs of electric aviation, or the region will lose the benefits it offers,” Brent Lane, the project’s director at Ohio University, said.
Of the airports in the study, 18 are in Kentucky, 14 in Ohio and four are in North Carolina. Aviation is an important part of transportation in Appalachia, officials said, but changes within the aviation industry, such as sustainable electric aircraft, are emerging. Since 2020, Beshear’s administration has invested $69 million in local, general aviation airports to improve airport infrastructure.