The Electrification Coalition has cheered both state support and also federal efforts, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Transportation is the leading source of carbon emissions driving climate change and Blair says electricity is the most cost-effective and efficient alternative for powering vehicles. "But electrification clearly has won," says Anne Blair, policy director for the Electrification Coalition, though she agrees supporting a broad market is necessary. Democrats say Kemp's criticism is misguided Kemp says the government shouldn't shape what people buy, whether it's a Rivian versus a Ford, or a hydrogen car versus an electric one. "The Biden administration has been forcing the market on people, much like the vaccine was forced on people and it turned some people off it." "I believe the best way to let a market develop is to let the consumer drive that," Kemp says. His approach could be a blueprint for like-minded Republicans: courting clean energy jobs without acting on climate, promoting EV production without nudging people to buy them. "Regardless of where your politics or your beliefs are on the climate, Georgians are good stewards of the environment," Kemp tells member station WABE after the ceremony at Tallulah Gorge, invoking Georgia's agricultural roots and farmers' push for conservation. What you don't hear Kemp talk much about, though, is the force underlying the broader drive to electrify – climate change. Kemp says the new jobs will be a game-changer for Georgia's economy. The state has helped lure these companies with billions of dollars worth of incentives, including tax breaks, infrastructure investments and state-supported training programs.
Battery makers and suppliers are setting up shop nearby and a South Korean solar panel company is moving ahead with a multi-billion dollar expansion. Hyundai, Kia and the startup Rivian will soon make electric vehicles in Georgia. But as green industries have expanded, some Republican-led states are now racing to attract companies that make electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels.Īs a result, Georgia is now edging out Michigan in some recent years as a top draw for new investments from auto manufacturers and suppliers, according to an analysis by the Center for Automotive Research. Georgia is pushing ahead with a plan to establish itself as the "electric mobility capital of the country," or as Kemp, a Republican, recently pledged at one event – the world.įor years, Democrats have primarily led efforts to fight climate change by curbing carbon emissions.
"The light turned green, so we're charging," Kemp declares to a small group of officials who cheer this inaugural charge at Tallulah Gorge State Park, one of six state parks in Georgia now installing electric vehicle chargers. Brian Kemp plugs a long charging cord into a forest green Rivian electric pickup truck.
– A short hike from the 200-foot suspension bridge that swings across Tallulah Gorge in the north Georgia mountains, Gov. Hyundai and Kia will also soon make electric vehicles in Georgia. Brian Kemp stands next to a Rivian electric truck while announcing the company's plans to build a plant east of Atlanta, Dec.
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