Southern Company Economic Development in Atlanta: How It Helps Businesses Grow

If you live in Atlanta, are planning to expand here, or are scouting the city for a new business location, you’ll see Southern Company mentioned often in conversations about economic development. That’s because the company, through Georgia Power and its partners, plays a major role in attracting and supporting businesses across metro Atlanta.

This guide breaks down what Southern Company Economic Development actually does in the Atlanta area, how it connects with incentive programs and chambers of commerce, and how you can tap into these resources for your own project.

What Is Southern Company Economic Development?

Southern Company is a large energy provider in the Southeast. In Georgia, its primary electric utility is Georgia Power, which runs a dedicated Economic Development division.

In Atlanta, this team focuses on:

• Recruiting new companies to metro Atlanta
• Helping existing local businesses expand
• Coordinating with city and state partners on sites, workforce, and incentives
• Providing data, site consulting, and energy planning for business projects

You’ll see their work behind the scenes in many of the major headquarters relocations, manufacturing plants, data centers, and office expansions in and around Atlanta.

Why Southern Company Matters for Atlanta Businesses

In Atlanta, business attraction and incentive programs are often a team effort. Southern Company’s economic development arm typically works hand-in-hand with:

• Invest Atlanta (the City of Atlanta’s economic development authority)
• Metro Atlanta Chamber
• Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)
• County-level development authorities (such as Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett)

Southern Company’s role is usually to:

• Provide energy-focused solutions (power availability, rates, reliability)
• Offer site and infrastructure analysis for industrial, office, and tech users
• Support incentive discussions with reliable utility cost projections
• Supply market and community data that companies need to justify a move or expansion

For a business owner or site selector looking at Atlanta, this translates into one more specialized resource that can make your project smoother and more cost-effective.

Key Services Southern Company Economic Development Offers in Atlanta

1. Site Selection and Location Assistance

If you’re trying to figure out where in metro Atlanta to locate, Georgia Power’s economic development team can:

• Help identify available industrial and commercial sites
• Evaluate electric infrastructure, including capacity and redundancy
• Coordinate with local development authorities on zoning, utilities, and permitting
• Offer insights on rail, interstate, and airport access, which matters a lot in Atlanta

This is especially useful for:

• Manufacturing and logistics users along I‑75, I‑85, I‑285, I‑20, and near Hartsfield-Jackson
• Data centers and tech operations needing high reliability and redundancy
• Corporate offices needing strong transit access and proximity to talent

2. Economic and Community Data

Companies evaluating Atlanta usually want answers to questions like:

• What is the local workforce like for specific industries?
• How do wages and business costs in Atlanta compare to other cities?
• What is the demographic and income profile of the area?
• How is quality of life, including housing, transportation, and education?

Southern Company’s economic development staff provides:

• Demographic and labor market overviews
• Industry cluster information (tech, film, logistics, manufacturing, etc.)
• Comparisons between Atlanta submarkets (city vs. suburbs, different counties)

This helps executives, investors, and local entrepreneurs build a strong case for why Atlanta works for their project.

3. Energy Planning and Infrastructure Support

In Atlanta, energy can be a major factor for business feasibility. The Southern Company / Georgia Power economic development team assists with:

• Load analysis and projected power usage for your operations
• Discussion of tariff options and rate structures (within public regulatory frameworks)
• Planning for redundant feeds, backup power, or grid upgrades
• Incorporating energy efficiency measures into your site design

Businesses that tend to work closely with them include:

• Large manufacturing plants
• Data centers and mission-critical operations
• Cold storage and warehousing
• Multi-building corporate campuses

Incentive Programs in Atlanta: Where Southern Company Fits In

Southern Company itself is not a government incentives agency, but its economic development team often supports projects that use local and state incentive programs.

Major Incentive Players in Atlanta

Here are some of the main partners you’ll hear about:

• Invest Atlanta – The City of Atlanta’s official economic development authority

  • Common tools: property tax rebates, tax allocation districts, small business loans, job creation incentives
  • Office: 133 Peachtree St NE, Suite 2900, Atlanta, GA 30303
  • Phone (main line): 404‑880‑4100

• Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)

  • State-level incentives such as job tax credits, investment credits, and training support
  • Atlanta presence near the Capitol and government offices downtown

• County Development Authorities (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, etc.)

  • Tools may include property tax abatements, bond financing, and site-specific incentives

• Metro Atlanta Chamber

  • Regional marketing, business connections, and advocacy for metro-wide projects
  • Office: 191 Peachtree St NE, Suite 3400, Atlanta, GA 30303
  • Phone (main line): 404‑880‑9000

Southern Company’s economic development team typically helps you navigate these partners by:

• Supplying data used in incentive applications
• Clarifying utility cost assumptions for financial models
• Coordinating the timing of energy infrastructure with incentive timelines

How Southern Company Works with Chambers and Business Organizations

In metro Atlanta, economic development is highly collaborative. You’ll often see Southern Company or Georgia Power economic development staff:

• Serving on committees or task forces with the Metro Atlanta Chamber
• Supporting industry councils, such as logistics, tech, or advanced manufacturing
• Participating in city and county economic development boards
• Engaging with local chambers of commerce (e.g., Atlanta Black Chamber, Latin American Chamber of Commerce Georgia, county chambers)

For a local business, this means:

• Southern Company can often introduce you to the right regional contacts
• You may encounter their staff at business roundtables, industry events, and site tours
• They frequently support major relocation announcements and ribbon cuttings across the region

Quick Reference: Key Economic Development Contacts for Atlanta

Below is a simple overview of who typically handles what, and where Southern Company fits into the picture:

If You’re an Atlanta-Based Entrepreneur or Small Business

While much of Southern Company’s economic development work is highly visible in large corporate and industrial projects, Atlanta’s small and mid-sized companies can also benefit indirectly.

Here’s how to plug in:

• Start with Invest Atlanta if you are within city limits and exploring:

  • Small business loans or grants
  • Commercial property rehabilitation help
  • Opportunity Zone or tax allocation district projects

• Connect with your local chamber of commerce for:

  • Networking events where utility representatives may attend
  • Information on expansions, relocations, and regional priorities

• If your project has unusually high or specialized energy needs, you can contact Georgia Power’s business services and ask to be directed to their economic development or large account team. They can discuss:

  • Power requirements for expansions or relocations within Atlanta
  • Timelines for upgrades or new service connections
  • Energy efficiency options and possible cost savings

Even if your business is smaller, understanding how infrastructure and incentives come together in Atlanta can help you make better long-term decisions about leasing, buying property, and growing within the city.

Practical Steps If You’re Considering a Project in Atlanta

If you’re seriously evaluating Atlanta as a location for a new or expanding operation, a practical sequence often looks like this:

1. Clarify your project needs

   • Square footage, use type (office, industrial, tech, retail), job count, and power needs.

2. Engage local economic development partners

   • Inside the city: contact Invest Atlanta.
   • For regional or suburban sites: reach out to the appropriate county development authority and Metro Atlanta Chamber.

3. Loop in Georgia Power / Southern Company Economic Development

   • Ask for an energy and infrastructure assessment of candidate sites.
   • Request input on grid capacity, reliability, and anticipated costs.

4. Explore incentives and support programs

   • Work with Invest Atlanta, GDEcD, and county partners to understand:
     • Job-related incentives
     • Property tax relief tools
     • Training and workforce assistance

5. Evaluate long-term operating costs

   • Factor in utility costs, commute patterns, workforce accessibility, and potential expansion room.

By following this path, Atlanta-based and incoming companies can make full use of the public agencies, chambers, and utility partners that coordinate to support economic development projects in the city.

In short, Southern Company Economic Development in Atlanta is a specialized resource centered on energy, infrastructure, and data, working alongside Invest Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, state agencies, and local chambers to make the city more attractive and workable for new and expanding businesses. If you’re planning a project here, it’s worth treating them as a key partner in your early planning and site evaluation process.