Axios Event: IRA investment helps Georgia with clean energy goals

ATLANTA – The Inflation Reduction Act has played a key role in stimulating clean energy investment and manufacturing in Georgia.

• Axios Atlanta reporters Thomas Wheatley and Kristal Dixon moderated conversations with Georgia Public Service Commission commissioner Tim Echols, City of Atlanta chief sustainability officer Chandra Farley and Metro Atlanta Chamber senior director of cleantech ecosystem expansion Cynthia Curry at the event, which was sponsored by American Chemistry Council.

Why it matters: IRA incentives and funds have helped to grow renewable energy industries in Georgia and attract more companies to the state, local officials said.

What they're saying: "I really think the IRA has to get a lot of the credit for causing this to happen, because of the tax credits involved and the incentives," Echols said.

The city of Atlanta is working toward a goal to have 100% clean energy by 2035 community-wide. Continuing to expand renewable energy will be key in accelerating progress toward this goal.

• Farley said the city's clean energy goal is really a renewable energy goal, and they're focused on growing capabilities across solar, biogas and hydro.

Curry doubled down on the powerful impact the IRA has had, saying it "has really opened up the door to a lot of possibility in Georgia that we would have never seen before."

What we're watching: How the growing power needs of AI data centers impact Georgia's clean energy boom.

• Data centers are popping up in Atlanta at a rapid rate, leading to conflicts about their construction and the industry's future in the city.
• "Some states are pushing them away and they just don't have the extra power, Georgia's blessed. We've got a 26% reserve margin here, but I think data centers could gobble that up pretty quickly," said Echols.

Sponsored content:

In a View From the Top sponsored segment, Syensqo chief technology and innovation officer Mike Finelli and American Chemistry Council CEO Chris Jahn shared their enthusiasm about a Department of Energy grant to build a new plant.

• "We received $178 million from the DOE to build what's called a PVDF plant … It's used as the binder to make lithium-ion batteries," Finelli said.