Clean energy jobs slowing; Peanut facility burns down; Shutdown could affect SNAP

Summary

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Georgia Today — October 24, 2025

Host: Orlando Montoya
Production: Georgia Public Broadcasting
Main Theme:
On this episode, Georgia Today delivers critical updates on the slowing pace of clean energy job growth, a devastating fire impacting the state’s peanut farmers, and the looming threat to food assistance caused by the government shutdown. The episode also touches on housing affordability, Supreme Court cases, and efforts to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Clean Energy Jobs in Georgia Slowing

[00:42–01:45]

• Report Findings:

  • A new study by E2 (nonpartisan group) reveals that although Georgia led the country in new clean energy projects in 2023, the pace has now slowed.
  • In 2025, three clean energy projects were announced, but three were also canceled.
  • Notable Impact:
    • Canceled projects resulted in over $3.3 billion in lost investment and 1,300 forecasted jobs.

• Contributing Factors:

  • The decline is partially attributed to the end of federal clean energy incentives and tax credits initiated by the Trump administration.
  • Despite setbacks, Georgia retains dozens of active projects, with billions of dollars still being invested.

• Memorable Quote:

  • "Those three projects canceled...represented a sizable amount of lost investment. Over $3.3 billion in lost investment and over 1,300 jobs forecast that will no longer be brought to the state."
    — SAC Amitai, E2, [01:14]

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2. Wilcox County Peanut Facility Fire

[01:45–02:27]

• Incident Details:

  • A major fire destroyed the Doster drying field facility in Rochelle, a critical hub for peanut farmers.
  • The blaze consumed 20 semi truckloads of newly harvested peanuts.

• Context:

  • Comes after two difficult years for peanut farmers, who have struggled with falling sales due to USDA cuts.
  • The federal government shutdown is further complicating matters by cutting off access to essential harvest loans.

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3. Government Shutdown & SNAP Benefits

[02:27–03:41]

• SNAP at Risk:

  • The ongoing shutdown threatens to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for about 1 million Georgians.
  • Georgia Democrats, led by Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-2), have urged the USDA to use their emergency $5 billion reserve to extend benefits.

• Shortfall:

  • The need projected is $8 billion, leaving a significant gap even if emergency funds are used.

• Additional Requests:

  • Bishop also advocates for the extension of Affordable Care Act tax subsidies.

• State Response Sought:

  • Atlanta State Rep. Kim Schofield and others are lobbying Governor Brian Kemp to utilize part of Georgia’s $15 billion surplus to fill SNAP funding gaps.
  • Powerful Quote:
    • "We all in Georgia keep touting that it's the best place to work, live, raise a family. How can that be so now if your family does not have electricity or heat or food or clothing or health care?"
      — Rep. Kim Schofield, [03:25]

• Current Situation:

  • No public contingency plan has been announced for SNAP continuation in Georgia.

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4. Atlanta Regional Concerns Survey

[03:41–04:20]

• Top Issues for Residents:
  • Housing affordability, traffic, and crime are the leading concerns in metro Atlanta, as reported in the latest Atlanta Speaks survey.
  • For the first time, housing affordability was an option—two-thirds of respondents said they couldn’t afford to move within their own neighborhoods.

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5. Georgia Supreme Court Cases

[04:20–05:35]

• Key Cases Heard:
  • Roadway Safety:
    • Stemming from a fatal 2016 crash involving a concrete planter in Milton; the city is now appealing to the state Supreme Court after losing a multimillion-dollar judgment.
  • Auto Sales Regulation:
    • Deliberating who is authorized to sell cars.
  • Child Custody:
    • Focused on caregiver status rights involving a child born to an unmarried couple via sperm donor; the birth mother seeks to reverse an order granting caregiver status to her former partner.

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6. Efforts to Protect Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

[05:35–end]

• Citizen Action:

  • Over 24,000 petition signatures and 300 pieces of children’s artwork were delivered to Governor Brian Kemp, urging permanent protection of the Okefenokee.

• Legislation:

  • Pending House Bill 561 (Okefenokee Protection Act) would ban future surface mining on Trail Ridge but remains stalled in committee.

• Recent Industry Action:

  • Twin Pines Minerals (Alabama-based) abandoned mining plans and will instead sell 8,000 acres near the refuge.
  • Mining attempts date back to the 1990s with DuPont.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Clean Energy:

  • "Over $3.3 billion in lost investment and over 1,300 jobs..."
    — SAC Amitai, [01:14]

• SNAP & Living Conditions:

  • "How can that be so now if your family does not have electricity or heat or food or clothing or health care?"
    — Rep. Kim Schofield, [03:25]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Clean energy transition slowdown: [00:42–01:45]
• Wilcox County peanut facility fire: [01:45–02:27]
• SNAP benefits and government shutdown: [02:27–03:41]
• Metro Atlanta survey results: [03:41–04:20]
• Georgia Supreme Court docket: [04:20–05:35]
• Okefenokee protection efforts: [05:35–end]

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This episode offers a concise yet comprehensive look at urgent statewide issues—energy, agriculture, food security, housing, and environmental protection—capturing the concerns and advocacy efforts shaping Georgia’s present and future.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Georgia's clean energy transition is slowing, according to a new study. There's more bad news for Georgia peanut farmers. A fire has destroyed a crucial processing facility in Wilcox county, and the ongoing government shutdown could soon affect 1 million Georgians who rely on SNAP.

[B]

We all in Georgia keep touting that it's the best place to work, live, raise a family. How can that be so now if your family does not have health care?

[A]

Today is Friday, October 24th. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. A new study suggests Georgia's clean energy transition is slowing. GPB's Sarah Kalis reports.

[C]

SAC Amitai is with the nonpartisan group E2, which produced the study. He says while Georgia led the country in new clean energy projects in 2023, progress has slowed. For instance, the state has seen three clean energy projects announced this year and just as many canceled.

[D]

And those three projects canceled have, you know, represented a sizable amount of lost investment. Over $3.3 billion in lost investment and over 1300 jobs forecast that will no longer be brought to the state.

[C]

That could be because of b administration clean energy incentives and tax credits ended by the Trump administration. Amitai says Georgia still has dozens of active clean energy projects and billions of dollars of investment. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallas.

[A]

A fire in South Georgia's Wilcox county destroyed a facility crucial to taking harvested peanuts to either storage or market. The fire at the Doster drying field facility in the town of Rochelle also burned 20 semi truckloads of newly harvested peanuts. The fire comes amid two tough years for peanut farmers who have seen sales plummet due to USDA cuts and are currently cut off from loans they need during the harvest by the federal government shutdown. The ongoing government shutdown means Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, will not be issued in November. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more on the impact in Georgia.

[E]

It means about 1 million Georgians might not be able to afford food. So Georgia Democrats and the U.S. house have asked the U.S. department of Agriculture to protect SNAP. That includes Sanford Bishop of Georgia's 2nd District, which runs from Macon southwest of the Florida border. He says The USDA has $5 billion set aside to fund SNAP in an emergency.

[F]

Unfortunately, the projection for what the need will be is 8 billion. And so we are urging the secretary of Agriculture to utilize that $5 billion to extend those SNAP benefits so people won't go hungry and to move other.

[E]

Money to cover the rest. Bishop also still wants the extension of Affordable Care act tax subsidies as part of a solution to the federal shutdown. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[A]

Atlanta State Representative Kim Schofield is among state House Democrats and asking governor Brian Kemp to shore up SNAP in Georgia with funds from the state's $15 billion budget surplus.

[B]

We all in Georgia need to do something, especially keep touting that it's the best place to work, live, raise a family. How can that be so now if your family does not have electricity or heat or food or clothing or health care?

[A]

So far, there is no public contingency plan for Georgia snap. Housing affordability, traffic and crime topped the list of concerns that metro Atlanta residents have in the latest Atlanta Speaks survey published annually by the Atlanta Regional Commission. This year's survey was the first to include housing affordability as an option. About two thirds of respondents said they could not afford to move to another house or apartment in their current neighborhood. The Georgia Supreme Court this week heard several cases, including two that could affect how cities design roadways and who gets to sell cars, and another involving child custody with an unmarried couple. The roadway safety case stems from the death of a 21 year old who crashed a car into a concrete planter while home from college in 2016. The planter had been placed a half dozen feet off the side of the road in Milton before 2006, when the city was established. A jury awarded the parents of Joshua chang more than $30 million. The city lost an appeal and then petitioned to the state Supreme Court to consider the case. The high court also heard a case about child custody rights in a situation involving an unmarried couple's pregnancy through a sperm donor. In this case, the birth mother wants the Supreme Court to reverse a trial court order granting her former partner caregiver status for the child. A coalition of environmental organizations delivered more than 24,000 petition signatures and nearly 300 pieces of artwork from children to Governor Brian Kemp's office on Thursday, urging him to permanently protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The groups, which included Environment Georgia, the Garden Club of Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light and others, called on the governor to support pending legislation to ban future surface mining on the refuge's trail ridge. That's a geological feature that contains valuable minerals but also serves as a barrier protecting the okefenokee House Bill 561, known as the Okefenokee Protection act and sponsored by state Representative Darlene Taylor, a Thomasville Republican has not yet passed out of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. An Alabama based company, Twin Pines Minerals, dropped its plans to mine Trail Ridge this summer and said it would instead sell 8,000 acres near the refuge. In the 1990s, Dupont also attempted to mine near the swamp. And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org news if you haven't yet hit subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment right now to keep us current in your podcast feed. If you have feedback, we'd love to hear that. Email us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Orlando Montoya. We'll be back again next week with more GEORGIA Today.