Georgia Power named a Top U.S. Utility for Economic Development

For nearly a quarter century, Georgia Power has been named one of the Top Utilities in Economic Development by Site Selection Magazine. This, the 24th consecutive year, Georgia Power is again just one of 20 utility providers to be recognized out of approximately 3,300 across the U.S.

Georgia Power is dedicated to supporting the growth and prosperity for all Georgians, and we continue to push ourselves to provide new and innovative services for our partners, said Walt Farrell, Georgia Power, vice president of Community and Economic Development. “we are proud of the team for earning this recognition once again and remain committed to helping our state thrive.”

This recognition is based on capital investment and job creation activity from corporate facility investment projects last year and evaluated on a cumulative and per-capita basis. In 2021, the Georgia Power Community & Economic Development (C&ED) team, working  alongside its state partners, located 110 facilities which resulted in a record $6.9 billion in capital investment. This represented an increase of more than $1 billion over 2020 figures. This was noted as one of the highest number of projects seen in the C&ED history and helped support creation of 18,400 jobs.

 Investments in engineering, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and research technology are credited for casting a wider net for more projects. New drone video capabilities, a labor force report, an international companies profile, a U.S. city comparison map and a commuting profile are just a few of the tools that enhanced the process of site selection. 

 The Education and Workforce Development team was integral in investing in the future workforce by creating a virtual reality career awareness program to generate student interest in skilled trades. Other programs included STEM enrichment, an Educator Externship program, and a statewide Equity through Education initiative. Creating and sustaining partnerships on the local, state and educational level over the years proved to be a major impact in the state’s successes for 2021.