The Clean Economy Tracker (CET), a collaboration between Utah State University and Atlas Public Policy, shows significant clean energy investments in Georgia. According to recent tracker updates, the state has received more than $29 billion in investments in clean energy and technology manufacturing facilities. Major funding includes projects from Hyundai Motor Group, SolarCycle, and DAS Corp. To date, the tracker shows that clean energy has created more than 35,000 new jobs in the Peach State.
According to the CET, Georgia is a top state for clean energy investing, with dollars spent topping more than $3 billion in clean energy storage systems alone. More than $17 billion has been invested in batteries and more than $8 billion in electric vehicles (EVs).
Photo Courtesy Hyundai Media Center
The CET found that Hyundai Motor Group has invested the most in Georgia, with more than $7 billion in funding. Last fall, the car manufacturer and its joint venture partner, LG Energy Solution (LGES), announced an additional $2 billion (a billion each) toward their EV battery cell manufacturing plant in Ellabell. That increase in funding is expected to bring an additional 400 jobs—5,100 jobs were already slated—to the area when the new facility opens next year.
“This incremental investment in Bryan County reflects our continued commitment to create a more sustainable future powered by American workers,” José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, said in a statement. “Hyundai is proud to partner with LGES, and we are grateful for the support of Gov. Kemp and the many communities throughout the state of Georgia that help drive our operations every day as we work to be a global leader in the electrified mobility industry.”
Photo Courtesy Clean Economy Tracker
DAS Corp., an automotive parts company, will break ground on a new manufacturing facility in Metter, Georgia. The new plant will create 300 jobs, generating over $35 million in financing in Candler County.
“The impact on our community will be transformative, stimulating investment in housing, creating other business opportunities, and improving the social economic well-being of our citizenry,” Ed Boyd, Metter mayor, said in a statement.
Near the Alabama border, the small town of Cave Springs is getting a giant $344 million investment from SOLARCYCLE via the Polk County Panel Glass Plant.
When fully operational in 2026, this project will bring 600 new clean energy jobs. It has the capacity to make five to six gigawatts worth of solar glass every year.
Photo Courtesy SOLARCYCLE
“SOLARCYCLE’s first-of-its-kind facility is a transformational investment for the Polk County community and will help drive its economy for years to come,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement.
“In Georgia, our strong energy mix is one of the key reasons our state has attracted generational investments in recent years. We will keep working to secure our power supply through exciting projects like this one.”
It is critical to readily see the transition’s progress via tools like the CET as the United States—and the world—moves closer to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The tracker is updated weekly. Atlas Public Policy says that over 75% of new private funding investments in clean energy tracked by the tool came after the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed in November 2021.
The tracker offers a way to visualize and follow the clean energy funding from private financing throughout the U.S. It is currently tracking $232 billion in announced private investments in clean energy manufacturing across America.
Photo Courtesy Atlas Policy
“I was proud to help pass the Inflation Reduction Act, and I am thrilled to see Georgians continuing to reap its benefits as solar energy production explodes across the state and country, helping fuel our emerging clean energy economy and create good-paying, local jobs in the process,” Sen. Reverend Warnock said in a statement. “SOLARCYCLE’s announcement of hundreds of jobs coming to a new, cutting-edge solar glass plant in North Georgia further cements the Peach State as a national leader in domestic solar manufacturing, and they will play a pivotal role in creating a robust supply chain for the United States emerging solar footprint.”
