Business Facilities Top Utilities 2023

Top Utilities Powering Economic Development

Our organization is honored to be a 2023 Top Utility for Economic Development by Business Facilities Magazine. The annual recognition selects utility providers from across the Country, “that go above and beyond, not only offering exceptional energy services but also collaborating with companies to improve economic development across the nation.”

In the article, business Facilities highlights the benefits that utility firm partnership in economic development has on the greater community including job creation, enhanced infrastructure, and clean energy.

As dedicated corporate citizens, Georgia Power has been helping hometowns across the state of Georgia grow and prosper through economic development for almost a century. Our experienced business recruitment and community development teams, highly skilled engineers, and nationally recognized research analysts support our statewide partners and businesses at every stage of growth.

This collaborative approach has helped Georgia remain a top state for business and set new records for growth in 2022.

“It was a historic year in Georgia. Working in partnership with the state and local communities, our team supported 45,000+ new jobs, and over $27B in new commercial investment across Georgia’s diverse industries,” says Walt Farrell, Vice President of Community & Economic Development for Georgia Power, “We understand that supporting our new and expanding industries must go hand in hand with workforce and talent development. Moving into 2023, Georgia Power’s commitment to growing the talent pipeline is strengthened through our programs such as Equity Through Education, Learning Power STEM curriculum and Georgia Pre-K Literacy Month.”

Business Facilities Highlights Business-Friendly Programs

Innovative programs and incentives from utility providers that support a business-friendly state was another consideration in this year’s Business Facilities selection.

As a customer-focused utility, Georgia Power offers programs that provide energy savings for commercial customers constructing new facilities or improving existing buildings. Georgia Power offers rebates through the Commercial Energy Efficiency Program (formerly known as the Prescriptive and Custom Savings Programs) to help customers make needed energy-efficient upgrades such as lighting, heating, and cooling equipment, and energy management systems more affordable. Also, to help small business customers make smart energy decisions, the Small Commercial Direct Install (SCDI) Program offers free energy assessments to qualifying customers and covers up to 70% of the cost of LED lighting upgrades which lead to energy savings.

In addition to the programs offered from Georgia Power, the State of Georgia offers a variety of programs and statutory incentives that help new and existing businesses thrive, including Georgia Tax Credits for Quality Jobs, Mega Projects, Research and Development, Investment, and more.

The State of Georgia’s Customer Choice program encourages economic development across the state. Customer Choice is a unique state law that lets large power users – with connected loads of 900KW or larger – make a one-time choice about their electric supplier, encouraging the most competitive energy prices for these businesses.

These programs and incentives, coupled with one of the most competitive tax structures in the country and the state’s constructive regulatory environment, continue to elevate Georgia as one of the best places to do business.

Congratulations to the hardworking teams across Georgia Power and our partners that make recognition like this possible. Read the full article here.