ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp is assigning Georgia National Guard troops and other state resources to help with the “logistical challenges” associated with ceremonies and services to honor the late former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
Kemp issued an executive order Tuesday activating the State Operations Center to coordinate the state assets that will assist next week in the final farewells and interment of Mrs. Carter, who died Sunday at her home in Plains. The order also calls on the Georgia Department of Defense to provide up to 50 National Guard troops.
Ceremonies celebrating the life of the former first lady of both Georgia and the United States will begin next Monday morning with a motorcade from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus to the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Services Complex at Georgia Southwestern State University, where wreaths will be laid.
The motorcade then will travel to The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, where members of the public will be able to pay their respects from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. as Mrs. Carter lies in repose.
On Tuesday, the motorcade will travel to Glenn Memorial Church at Emory University for a tribute service with invited guests at 1 p.m.
On Wednesday, the funeral procession will arrive at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains for an 11 a.m. service for family and invited friends. The casket then will depart for a private interment at the Carter family residence.
Under a second executive order Kemp issued Tuesday, the U.S. and Georgia flags will be flown at half-staff at all state buildings and grounds from Monday through sunset on Wednesday.
ATLANTA – State energy regulators will vote in April on Georgia Power’s request for additional electrical generating capacity.
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a hearing schedule Tuesday that calls for a final vote April 16 on an updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) the Atlanta-based utility submitted late last month.
The PSC voted in July of last year in favor of a three-year IRP outlining the mix of energy sources Georgia Power intends to rely on for power generation during the next two decades.
But rather than wait the usual three years to submit its next IRP, Georgia Power is looking to the commission now to approve additional generating capacity to accommodate what the company called “extraordinary” economic growth.
The utility is asking for about 6,600 megawatts of electricity. A megawatt is enough electricity to power about 750 homes.
Specifically, the IRP update calls for:
construction of new solar resources to be co-located with battery energy storage systems.
expansion of Georgia Power’s battery energy storage capacity.
construction of three new gas combustion turbines at Plant Yates near Newnan.
certification of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Mississippi Power, like Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co.
certification of a PPA with Florida-based Santa Rosa Energy Center LLC for power from an existing natural gas-fired power plant.
the addition of new and expanded distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, and demand response programs, in which customers voluntarily agree to reduce energy use during periods of peak demand.
Potential acquisition of an additional ownership interest in an “existing generation asset” within the Southern Co. footprint.
Environmental advocates who oppose the updated IRP are focusing on the proposed construction of new gas combustion turbines at Plant Yates. A lawyer for the Southern Environmental Law Center criticized the gas turbine project last month as “walking back the incremental steps” Georgia Power has taken to transition to clean energy.
Under the schedule the PSC adopted Tuesday, commissioners will hold hearings on the proposed IRP update Jan. 16-17, Feb. 29-March 1, and potentially on March 27-28. The commission’s Energy Committee will hear from all interested parties in the case April 11, ahead of the final vote April 16.
ATLANTA – The Technical College System of Georgia has launched a website to help link job seekers in Georgia with employers, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday.
The Labor Exchange Platform will provide access to job listings, educational and training resources, and career services.
“Georgia continues to meet the needs of both employees and job creators as we welcome the incredible job growth we’ve seen over the past several years,” Kemp said. “This innovative platform will help match members of our skilled workforce with opportunities for success in every corner of the state.”
Besides helping job seekers, the platform serves as a resource for employers by simplifying job postings, facilitating connections with qualified candidates, and providing labor market insights to help businesses navigate Georgia’s dynamic employment environment.
“The online platform plays a crucial role in aligning our workforce development efforts with the pace of our economic growth,” said Greg Dozier, commissioner of the state’s technical college system. “The Labor Exchange Platform is more than just a job site; it’s a bridge connecting Georgia’s talented workforce with the numerous opportunities arising across the state.”
The new platform can be found at www.worksourcegaportal.com.
ATLANTA – Former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins will head the new Georgia chapter of the America First Policy Institute, a national think tank, the organization announced Monday.
Collins, a Republican from Gainesville, represented Georgia’s 9th Congressional District from 2013 until 2021. Before that, he served three terms in the state House of Representatives.
Collins ran for the U.S. Senate in an unusual open-format 2020 primary that featured candidates from both major parties on the ballot. He finished third behind Democrat Raphael Warnock, who went on to win the seat in a runoff, and Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
“At a time when our communities value safety, opportunity, and freedom more than ever before, the commitment of the America First Policy Institute to Georgia demonstrates a determination few entities are willing to consider these days,” Collins said Monday.
“As we look to better the lives of all Georgians, I’m honored to be able to use my unique perspective as a lawyer, former congressional member, and veteran to help the institute and state move forward.”
The America First Policy Institute has close ties to former President Donald Trump. It is led by Brooke Rollins, who served as a domestic policy adviser in the Trump White House.
“America First policies proved to work at the national level, and they are working in dozens of states across our country,” Rollins said. “From high crime rates and homelessness to businesses and families struggling to make ends meet, we believe now is the time for the people to demand proven policies that can get the state back on the right track.”
Collins is a fitting choice to head the group’s Georgia chapter. He was one of Trump’s staunchest defenders in Congress.
While serving as ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, Collins gained national attention as one of Trump’s most vocal supporters during the House’s first impeachment inquiry in 2019.
ATLANTA – An Atlanta-based environmental group is renewing its campaign against gasoline-powered lawn equipment.
The Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center has released a study showing that gas-powered leaf blowers, lawnmowers, string trimmers, chainsaws and other lawn and garden equipment generate large amounts of air pollution and noise.
According to the report’s analysis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, lawn and garden equipment in Georgia emitted an estimated 864 tons of harmful “fine particulate” air pollution in 2020 – an amount equivalent to the pollution emitted by 9.2 million typical cars over the course of a year.
For all the air pollution components tracked, Georgia ranked in the top 10 worst-polluting states. Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton counties placed in the top 10 for pollution emissions among counties.
“It’s absurd that we have been tolerating so much harmful pollution and noise just to cut grass and maintain landscapes,” said Jennette Gayer, the center’s director. “The good news is cleaner, quieter electric-powered lawn equipment is capable, affordable, and readily available.”
The report recommends that local and state governments use electric equipment on public property and provide financial incentives to encourage the widespread adoption of electric lawn equipment.
Environment Georgia and other environmental groups supported efforts to rein in the use of gas-powered lawn equipment during this year’s General Assembly session.
However, lawmakers ended up passing a bill that prohibits local governments from treating gas-powered leaf blowers different from any other types of blowers.
