MEAG Power Cultivates Federal, State & Local Outreach

Much of the work of MEAG Power’s Government Affairs staff takes place behind the scenes, from tracking potential and active legislation year-round at both the federal and state level to maintaining regular consultative contact with legislative staff to updating senior management and the Board.

During a busy, productive summer, Government Affairs and allied staff cultivated important relationship-building outreach from D.C. to Plant Vogtle to several Participant cities. The MEAG Power Board’s Government Affairs Committee met with several members of the Georgia Congressional delegation and their staffs in Washington, D.C. Government and Corporate Affairs staff participated in the annual ECG/MEAG Power Economic Development Bus Tour, and also a Congressional Staffers Tour at Plant Vogtle.

Georgia Congressional Delegation Visit

The Board’s Government Affairs Committee meets with the Georgia delegation each year to discuss energy industry policy. This year’s trip included Board Chairman Steve “Thunder” Tumlin, Mayor of Marietta, Mayor Keith Brady of Newnan, State Rep. Bill Yearta of Sylvester, MEAG Power President & CEO Jim Fuller, VP and Chief Administrative Officer Doug Lego and Director of Government Affairs Paul Warfel.

The MEAG Power group met with a number of legislators during the Congressional visit, including: Senator Warnock and Representatives Allen, Carter, Clyde, Ferguson, Greene, Hice, Johnson, Austin Scott, and David Scott, along with staff members in other Georgia delegation offices.

They were on Capitol Hill when it was announced that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would likely become law. It was passed by both houses of Congress the following week and signed into law by President Biden on Aug. 16. The law has significant provisions that are favorable to electric utilities and public power; it’s the perfect example of why such ongoing outreach at all levels of government is important. (See the article in this issue for details on the energy-related provisions of the new law.)

ECG/MEAG Power Economic Development Bus Tour

The annual Economic Development Bus Tour, an annual event co-sponsored by MEAG Power and ECG, rolled through eight Participant cities over two days in early August. In addition to staff from both MEAG Power and ECG, the tour included representatives from the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

The group visited with heads of economic development, mayors, city managers, other officials and business leaders in each community, learning about development and growth initiatives, successes, major industries and business and, of course, economic development plans and opportunities. The tour is a unique way to see the drivers of growth, hear the personal stories and plant the seeds for future development in Participant communities. Additionally, it creates a productive venue to build strong relationships with these government officials and business leaders.

Highlights of this year’s tour included such diverse scenes as spec building tours, cryptocurrency mining operations, erosion-control materials fabrication, industrial tent-making operations and a massive electric vehicle battery plant.

Congressional Staff Plant Vogtle Tour

The annual tour of Plant Vogtle allows staff members from Georgia’s U.S. representatives and senators, important influencers and policy advisors, the chance to see the scope and scale of the construction effort — and to get a unique understanding of the plant’s importance to Georgia as the state’s largest provider of non-emitting baseload power for the next 60-80 years.

The timing of the tour was fortuitous: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission had just issued its finding that allows Unit 3 to load fuel and progress through its startup sequence toward commercial operation by March 31, 2023. More information on this important milestone can be found in the Vogtle News article in this issue.

In addition to seeing the ongoing work on Unit 4, slated for commercial operation by year-end 2023, the group got the chance to see inside containment, the turbine generator and the control room of Unit 3.