Energy Solutions and Environment Business 

Developing and commercializing energy solutions can be achieved with less risk at a lower cost in Georgia. Georgia is the country’s leading source of sustainable biomass and has an abundance of renewable natural resources such as pine trees, 10 million acres of agricultural land, and new alternative energy crops including renewable, fast-growing Giant Miscanthus.

Energy solution providers are able to accelerate renewable energy solutions in a lower-risk environment, with quick and easy access to global markets, due to Georgia’s smart tax incentives, access to the top source for commercial timberland in the U.S., innovative industry research, and Georgia’s global logistics “super network.” Electricity costs below the national average will help solar technology manufacturers and renewable energy producers control their operating budgets, as well.

Georgia’s business-friendly energy ecosystem lowers costs and increases competitive advantage for businesses in the solar, wind, smart grid, biofuel, battery and fuel cell fields.  In addition, energy solutions providers located in Atlanta join an environment and business culture that leads the nation in energy conservation, with more than three million square feet of LEED certified buildings.

BENEFITS

Energy solution providers in Georgia can:

• Mitigate business risk by doing business in the #3 ranked state for biofuel potential
• Reduce time and start-up costs by using available facilities with clean room capacity that can be modified for solar production
• Find comparatively inexpensive, large manufacturing and technology facilities
• Accelerate smart grid systems development via The Technology Association of Georgia’s (TAG) Smart Grid Society
• Gain access to the bioenergy industry’s leading resource for research and development—Georgia’s 22 million acres of privately owned timberland
• Utilize a large, well-educated pool of approximately 1,000 logging contractor companies that ensure a constant flow of raw material from forests to mills
• Maintain environmental industry best practices with more than 1,700 timber harvesters and procurement foresters who have earned a Master Timber Harvester designation, indicating their training and track records in proper timber harvesting methods
• Leverage the Port of Brunswick’s new pellet facility for the biomass industry, and the Port of Savannah’s experience with overweight wind energy cargo
• Scale employee training needs with Quick Start, the top-ranked workforce training program in the country
• Take advantage of permitted pilot testing for biomass projects at The Herty Advanced Materials Development Center in Savannah