Atlanta Tech Jobs Created by GE
A new generation of Atlanta tech jobs is being created by one company's local smart grid project.
General Electric recently announced that it will locate the company's $15 million Smart Grid Center of Excellence in Cobb County and create 400 new high-paying jobs. The project is part of a move to establish the metro Atlanta area as a focal point for the green energy industry.
The new employees will conduct research and development, as well as application engineering. The SGCE will be home to the world headquarters of GE's new Digital Energy business, a smart grid engineering laboratory, and an exhibition area showing how a smart grid works.
The project is being funded by two U.S. Department of Energy grants - $649,903 to GE and $647,368 to Georgia Tech - as part of $100 million in funding to a group of companies and colleges to develop programs and train future employees, such as engineers, in smart grid technology.
"This is not just another headquarters," Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It is a headquarters for a new industry that could really position Atlanta and Georgia as a leader in that sector nationally and worldwide. "
GE will benefit from Georgia's quality jobs tax credit and will be eligible for $9 million in tax credits during the next five years. The company already has a presence in the area, with about 2,300 employees in metro Atlanta and about 5,300 employees throughout Georgia. GE Energy and GE Technology Infrastructure are both headquartered in the state.
A smart grid is used to create a more direct and efficient digital technology system that distributes electricity to consumers. Advocates say such a system can better regulate power demand and supply, and offers benefits, such as quicker restoration of electricity after outages.
Long-term, smart grids may allow consumers to choose their power source from traditional and alternative fuels, and allow motorists to refuel electric vehicles overnight. In addition, any unneeded power would be returned to the system for future use.
State and local officials hope that more companies in the smart grid sector will want to locate in Atlanta because of GE's presence and because of local support for the industry's suppliers, vendors and competitors.
"(The center) supports our state's strategic growth as a global leader in the energy sector," Gov. Sonny Perdue said. "The solutions that will be developed at the Smart Grid Technology Center of Excellence not only benefit GE Energy’s customers, but will also serve as a model for smart and responsible energy production throughout this industry."
Check out this recruiting video for GE: