A Citizen Wherever We Serve: The heart of Georgia Power

Business Journals

19 hours ago

When most people think of Georgia Power, they may think of electricity or their utility provider that's been a fixture across Georgia longer than any of us have been alive. But many may not recognize the impact we have on the daily lives of Georgians across the state. Or even how we lift up communities and places we all call home.
While our commitment to providing Georgians with clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy has certainly been the crux of what's kept us in business for more than a century, it's a disservice to the heart of our organization to stop sharing our story there. Because underneath our passion for providing a vital service to Georgians, we are united as employees and human beings by a passion for serving others — our neighbors, our communities, and all of Georgia.
That's why wherever we live across the state, we're dedicated to our core principle of being 'A Citizen Wherever We Serve.'
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to banks of the Altamaha River, every Georgia Power employee is a proud member of their own local community. Not just because they're tirelessly dedicated to keeping the lights on, but because every one of our more than 7,000 employees across Georgia knows that we have the most to gain when we engage with those around us.
In 2024, Georgia Power, alongside the Georgia Power Foundation and our employees, provided $34.6 million in community aid and more than 75,000 hours of volunteer work by current employees, board members, and family members. We also worked with more than 1,000 organizations to provide both financial and hands-on support centered around three company-wide initiatives: empowering our education, environment, and communities across the state.
expand
Courtesy photo
On the ground with Hurricane Helene and COVID-19
We lived out this value firsthand last September when Georgia suffered historic storm damage from Hurricane Helene, the most destructive storm in Georgia Power's 140-year history. Ravaging communities across Southeast Georgia, the Western Carolinas, and parts of Tennessee, damage from Helene cut off access to necessities like food, water, and electricity for days, even weeks for some of the hardest hit areas like Augusta, Valdosta, and Savannah. Businesses and homes were leveled, flooded, and riddled with debris. Schools were closed and livelihoods were ruined.
In the wake of this natural disaster, I witnessed firsthand our crews and employees leaving their own families, many of whom were also impacted by the storm, and working around the clock for weeks to aid the communities who bore the brunt of Helene's wrath. But we didn't stop there. In addition to rebuilding critical infrastructure and restoring power for nearly 1.5 million customers, I watched our teams bring in truckloads of water and provided food and shelter in areas that suffered the greatest losses. Throughout recovery efforts, the Georgia Power Foundation partnered with trusted organizations such as the Salvation Army to provide continued hurricane relief as impacted Georgians worked their way back to normalcy.
But Helene was not the only once-in-a-century crisis our state faced in recent years.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for Georgians and the entire world, leaving many families feeling desperate and alone. The Georgia Power Foundation answered the call to serve our neighbors, many of whom were suddenly facing homelessness, food insecurity, and unemployment. We joined forces with several nonprofits and organizations across the state to provide crucial financial and hands-on assistance with food pantries, shelters, as well as continued education opportunities in areas with the greatest needs.
Our economy and a growing Georgia
As we've faced these crises, our communities have demonstrated remarkable resilience. So much so, that even despite the pandemic, Georgia was once again named the No. 1 state for business by Area Development magazine, as it has been every year since 2014. We take pride in the fact that companies are flocking to our state, bringing jobs and opportunities to improve our communities with them.
One of those projects is the Hyundai Motor Group's new metaplant in Ellabell, Georgia, about 20 miles west of Savannah. When Hyundai was considering a move to Georgia, our economic development team partnered with the state to help bring in the largest economic development project in Georgia's history. We not only aimed to provide energy resources to power the plant, but we also looked for ways to ensure the community's workforce was prepared.
The metaplant is bringing a historic 8,100 new jobs and more than 7,000 additional jobs from nearly two dozen suppliers supporting the project. We joined local and regional organizations in and around Savannah to plan a long-term workforce development strategy to ensure the current and future workforce would be ready to fill those roles. This effort ultimately resulted in a new regional workforce organization called RISE (Regional Industry Support Enterprise), unveiled in 2024.
expand
Courtesy photo
Developing our workforce through education
Building a skilled workforce within Georgia to meet our state's growing economic demands is fundamental to securing long-term prosperity for families across our state, beginning with education in our own communities. That's why we're dedicated to investing in Georgia's students at every level. Whether it be career, technical, or agricultural education programs like Workforce for Georgia or career academies at high schools and colleges across the state, we believe education is power. And education is the most powerful way to create meaningful employment opportunities and help Georgians advance economically, individually and as a state.
Outside the classroom, we've been a longtime supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. Throughout our partnership, we've served thousands of children, providing them with structured, professionally supported mentorship with leaders in our communities before they even start their careers.
Georgia Power is also a founding member of the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing justice and equity for Georgia's children, especially those in foster care. The center meets the needs of vulnerable youth in the metropolitan area and statewide to deter involvement with the juvenile justice system while helping them recognize and achieve their potential.
Also, in Metro Atlanta, we're working to develop and grow our community alongside Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who has established the goal of making Atlanta the safest large city in America. We are inspired by this goal and are helping formerly incarcerated individuals get reintroduced to the local workforce and become civically engaged in our community. In fact, last year 56 percent of our community funding went toward social justice initiatives, which improve our criminal justice system and facilitate re-introduction into the workforce.
Through all these efforts, we engage personally with our communities in an effort to fulfill our calling to be 'A Citizen Wherever We Serve.'
To me, being 'A Citizen Where I Serve' means honoring the communities that shaped me. I haven't always been a senior vice president or executive leader. I come from a community where I saw many who experienced significant challenges. The privilege I had then to serve those around me and make my community better has never left me. That commitment continues to inspire my service and desire to make a meaningful impact every day and beyond.
To honor where I come from and where we're all going.
Read more about our impact.
Audrey King is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Georgia Power and the President and CEO of the Georgia Power Foundation.