Georgia
Georgia ranks 21st in the nation in industrial emissions. The highest emitting sectors include landfills, pulp and paper, and chemical production. Georgia’s well-established pulp and paper industry generates approximately 10 percent of the nation’s emissions in this sector. Several pulp and paper manufacturers are in the Savannah region, but facilities operate in most areas of the state. Chemical production is concentrated in the Augusta region. The state has no refineries and only one cement manufacturer.

- The top 20 emitters are shown on this map, coded by industrial sector. The size of the circles corresponds to emissions: the larger the circle, the higher the emissions.
- Disadvantaged communities (as determined by the federal government) are shaded blue.

- The inner circle provides a visual representation of the share of emissions generated by each industrial sector.
- The outer circle also indicates the share of a sector’s emissions generated in disadvantaged communities.
STATE ENERGY POLICY:
Considering a state’s broader energy policy landscape is helpful when developing policies to support industrial modernization. Georgia has not established greenhouse gas emissions targets, an electricity portfolio standard, or a clean heat standard. While these formal commitments are not prerequisites for innovative industrial policy, they can provide a supportive framework. In addition, the development of effective state energy policy requires several key components: streamlining permitting and establishing an efficient, transparent appeals process that engages local communities early while giving clarity and assurances to project developers. Discussions around innovative industrial policy present an opportunity for broader conversations about state energy policy to ensure a mutually reinforcing strategy.
STATE LEGISLATIVE context & opportunity:
Let us know if you are aware of additional legislation advancing industrial innovation in Georgia that should be featured. The context below is not exhaustive and serves as an example of recent policies and programs, and where there may be future opportunities:
- A factsheet by the Renewable Thermal Collaborative identifies electrification of Georgia’s ammonia, pulp and paper, and plastic recycling subsectors as opportunities to significantly reduce emissions. The Georgia Institute of Technology provides an example of how these recommendations can look when implemented. In 2024, researchers were awarded three grants from the US Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office to reduce energy usage and increase productivity across the industrial sector. Two projects, including electrified drying, focus on the paper and forest products sector.
- Clean Energy Production Tax Credit Act: Georgia is considering H.B. 213 in the 2025 legislative session, which would create an income tax credit for facilities that generate electricity with net-zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of the technology used. If enacted, this type of incentive would help ensure that as more industrial processes in Georgia become electrified, the electricity powering those processes is clean.
Explore recent legislation in Georgia and all 50 states by clicking on a specific year: 2025 legislation, 2024 legislation, 2023 legislation.