CEO: Georgia Power rising to challenges in unprecedented times

CUMBERLAND — From the rise in gun violence to inflation, Georgia Power Chairman, President and CEO Chris Womack addressed a number of troubling issues while encouraging business leaders in the crowd to have vision, innovation and persistence at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Marquee Monday breakfast.

Admittedly going off script from the speech written for him for the event, Womack spoke about the need to face these challenges head-on.

For Georgia Power, the company has seen a growth in customer base, Womack said, and described the year as a “wonderful and exciting time” for the organization. He noted the energy company is continuing to shift from coal-powered plants to other sources of energy such as nuclear power, natural gas and hydrogen.

“There’s nothing like technology, and innovation and things to create this incredible excitement about a business that hadn’t really always been very sexy,” he said.

Anticipating a future when more drivers will power their vehicles with electricity than gasoline, Womack mentioned the company’s investment in electric grids and initiatives to build electric vehicle charging stations in communities.

“Speculation is that by the end of this decade, every new vehicle purchase will be an electric vehicle,” he said.

But the progress hasn’t been without its challenges. Womack said Georgia Power has faced supply chain issues like most other companies in the U.S. and construction on the company’s first nuclear power plant in 30 years has been met with “a bunch of issues.” He admits the project has cost much more money and taken much more time than initially projected.

Construction of two additional reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta have been delayed by years and estimated costs of the project have nearly doubled to $30 billion.

“One of the biggest issues we’ve had has been workforce, because the supply chain for that (nuclear power) business hadn’t been utilized in 30 years and so trying to find the electricians, the welders, the pipe fitters and plumbers, all of those skills that we needed has been challenging for us,” he said.

Aside from focusing on workforce, Womack said Georgia Power will also hone in on supporting the community and working together against issues that cause division, “no matter all the social challenges.” The company will also aid in growing the next generation of leaders who will engage, listen and learn, he said.

Using the Braves as an analogy, Womack said without the forethought of leaders who brought the baseball team to Cobb County, the franchise never would have garnered a World Series win, let alone become the “crown jewel” of Cobb. Despite doubts about the location and traffic, he said their persistence paid off.

“Somebody had the vision to say, ‘We’re going to create this ballpark in this little small quadrant of space that not a lot of people knew existed,’” he said.

Womack also took time to speak about the economy. He described the current financial trends as “confusing,” stating even he has balked at the price of chicken thighs at the grocery store thanks to the highest inflation rates in 40 years. Unemployment reached 3.6% nationally in June, clocking in at about 3% for Georgia, he said. Combined with rising mortgage interest rates, consumers and economists alike are concerned about a recession, but Womack voiced his doubts.

“But you got 370,000 jobs being added to an economy and you got ... 3% unemployment rates in Georgia. That doesn’t feel like a slowdown to me,” he said. “I think we’re in that period where it’s gonna be a little uncertain.”

Womack said he was concerned about the growing divide between “the haves and the have nots,” and how inflation would “exacerbate those conditions.” He said institutions like the Braves, Georgia Power and tech institutions across the state would help provide jobs to locals and the nearly 70,000 new residents that have flocked to Georgia this year alone.

“There are a lot of good things that are going on here in the state of Georgia,” he said. “I think our glass is half full. I think back to last year — Georgia is doing pretty darn well.”