The Georgia economy is slowly improving. That's the word Tuesday from a Georgia Power leader.
Providing the electricity that powers so many businesses in the state gives Georgia Power a unique perspective on how Georgia's economy is doing.
The streets of Americus may be getting a little more lively as the economy improves. The small signs of recovery are badly needed.
"This has been an atypical recession for the state of Georgia," said Kyle Leach with Georgia Power. "Generally, when we go into recession, our dips are shallower than what we see on the national basis. We usually come out of a recession more quickly than the rest of the country. That is not the case this time around."
Kyle Leach is the Director of Resources for Georgia power. He spoke to business people and political leaders in Sumter County today. He says reliability from companies is the way back to economic prosperity.
"The main message from Georgia power is just ensuring that when our customers need energy, it will be available, it will be reliable and affordable," said Leach. "That is the role of my group at Georgia power, to make sure we have those resources there to meet our customers needs."
The signs of struggle are still present in Americus, but there are also positives going forward. Leach says the power companies are directly linked to the economy.
"Electricity is the lifeblood of our economy," said Leach. "We all need it. As our industries evolve, we are not only seeing industry, but commercial and residential customers that are becoming more electricity intensified."
He says he was told Americus has a strong thirst for local innovation right now. He wants Georgia Power to help small businesses get going.
"To give people who have good ideas to help give them guidance on how they can grow their businesses," said Leach. "And we also work with a lot of businesses too on how they can be more energy efficient."
The challenges may be different than past recessions. That means the solutions are also different.
