The story of Olivia Amyette and the booming clean energy sector in Georgia reflects a transformative period for rural areas of the state.
Amyette’s journey—from caring for her grandfather during the pandemic to founding Infinite Energy Advisors and the Solar Knowledge Institute—illustrates how personal resilience and federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act IRA can drive both individual success and community revitalization.
Georgia has become a hub for clean energy investments, ranking among the top states for climate technology manufacturing.
Companies like QCells are creating thousands of jobs, and the IRA’s tax incentives for solar and other renewable projects are key to their expansion.
Amyette’s businesses have also thrived under these policies, emphasizing workforce development and equitable access to high-paying jobs.
However, this rapid growth has also exposed challenges, particularly in housing and infrastructure. Towns like Dalton and Cartersville are struggling to meet the demand for affordable homes, while rural communities face additional pressures from limited services and rising rents.
State initiatives like the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative are beginning to address these issues, offering low-interest construction loans and grants to improve infrastructure.
Georgia’s clean energy boom is a model of how federal incentives can stimulate local economies, but it also underscores the importance of comprehensive planning to ensure sustainable growth and equitable benefits for all residents.