Georgia Trend Daily – Dec. 20, 2023
Dec. 20, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Georgia PSC approves agreement on Plant Vogtle costs
Dave Williams reports that Georgia energy regulators unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to let Georgia Power pass on to customers almost $7.6 billion of its costs in building two additional nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald, the only member of the PSC who was on the board in 2009, acknowledged the difficulties the project has faced during the last 14 years.
Dec. 20, 2023 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Georgia Tech’s GaMEP is driving innovation
Julia Roberts reports, “A stitch in time saves nine,” goes the old saying. For a company in Georgia, that adage became very real when damage to a key piece of machinery threatened its operation. The group stepping in to help was the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), a program of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute that — for more than 60 years — has been helping small to medium-sized manufacturers in Georgia stay competitive and grow, boosting economic development across the state.
Dec. 20, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rivian chooses construction firm to build $5B EV factory in Georgia
Zachary Hansen reports that electric vehicle startup Rivian announced Tuesday it has chosen the construction firm to build its planned $5 billion factory an hour east of Atlanta. Chicago-based Clayco will construct the 16 million-square-foot factory on an 1,800-acre megasite in southern Morgan and Walton counties, according to a news release.
Dec. 20, 2023 Macon Telegraph
Here are the 3 stories to watch in coming months at the Georgia Public Service Commission
Gautama Mehta reports, on issues of climate and energy, the most consequential decisions made by elected officials in Georgia often do not occur under the state legislature’s Gold Dome. Those interested in the decarbonization of the state’s energy grid or in keeping citizen’s power bills in check tend to pay more attention to a five-member body across the street from the Capitol, which is charged with regulating Georgia Power Co., the privately-owned utility company that is granted a legal monopoly over much of the state.
Dec. 20, 2023 Savannah Morning News
Savannah area manufacturing plant to close mid-January
Latrice Williams reports that Caesarstone, a company that specializes in quartz manufacturing, will close its doors in Richmond Hill mid-January.The company will save $20 million annually, and according to WJCL, more than 100 employees will be impacted.
Dec. 20, 2023 GPB
A Georgia car dealership is building electric chargers and solar panels in a new partnership
Amanda Andrews reports that Georgia’s largest Ford dealership is partnering with an electric infrastructure energy company to build several new electric vehicle chargers and solar panels. Akins Ford in Winder, Ga., will install 19 total charging stations to decrease the dealership’s carbon footprint.
Dec. 20, 2023 Rough Draft Atlanta
Atlanta Tech Village founder buying South Downtown properties
Dyana Bagby reports that Atlanta Tech Village founder David Cummings is buying up acres of South Downtown properties that were set to be sold at foreclosure as part of a plan to create a tech startup community. Cummings and Jon Birdsong of Atlanta Ventures, an investment group that founded Atlanta Tech Village in Buckhead, have teamed up to buy up some of German developer Newport RE’s properties, the Atlanta Business Chronicle first reported Tuesday.
Dec. 20, 2023 The Brunswick News
IPC to consider commercial development on SSI
Taylor Cooper reports, construction of a new commercial development with three office spaces and storage at 104 Skylane Court will be considered at tonight’s Islands Planning Commission Meeting. The applicant for what is called the Shropshire Development asked to defer a decision on the request with a landscape plan to see if the exterior of the proposed 4,000-square-foot commercial building can be modified.
Dec. 20, 2023 Valdosta Daily Times
SGMC Health joins national health information agreement
Staff reports that SGMC Health is among the first group of health systems participating in the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at advancing health information exchange on a national scale. TEFCA, developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, is a standardized framework designed to facilitate secure and interoperable exchange of electronic health information across the healthcare ecosystem, SGMC Health said in a press release.
Dec. 20, 2023 Georgia Recorder
Georgia plans ‘strategic surge’ to check Medicaid eligibility after 150k children lose coverage
Jill Nolin reports that Georgia will boost spending to get state workers help with handling the massive job of checking the eligibility of all 2.8 million people covered by Medicaid after a high number of children have lost coverage. State officials announced Monday that the governor’s office had set aside $54 million in federal funds as part of what Gov. Brian Kemp called a “strategic surge” in the ninth month of the redetermination process.
Dec. 20, 2023 Union-Recorder, CNHI News
Georgia eyes scrapping direct-action statute for trucking industry
Asia Ashley reports that among its recommendations for initiatives to decrease truck driver shortages, the Georgia Senate Study Committee on Truck Driver Shortages has suggested a repeal of the state’s direct-action statute. The statute allows those who are injured, or have damages as the result of a truck driver-related accident, to list the the carrier’s insurance company as a party to a lawsuit.
Dec. 20, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PG A.M.: Raffensperger deputy forewarns of efforts to discredit 2024 vote
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Van Brimmer report, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger managed to avoid a formal investigation by the State Election Board into his actions during the 2020 election, but his top deputy is seething that an effort by conservative activists and election skeptics almost succeeded. Two of the board’s four members embraced the calls and voted in favor of a probe during a Tuesday meeting.
