4/22/2010 09:00
GE Center of Excellence Will Make Atlanta Worldwide
Hub for Smart Grid Breakthroughs
Nearly 400 New Atlanta Jobs will be Created to Improve Energy Delivery around the Globe
ATLANTA, GA.—April 22, 2010— The leading worldwide resource for clean, reliable, efficient energy
delivery will be headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with the opening of GE’s (NYSE: GE) Digital Energy
business’ new Smart Grid Technology Center of Excellence (COE), the company announced today. The
center is another demonstration of GE’s commitment to discovering and deploying clean, sustainable and
economically viable energy solutions to satisfy ever-increasing worldwide energy demand.
“Atlanta is an ideal location for us to continue to grow our smart grid business,” said Bob Gilligan, vice
president—digital energy for GE Energy Services. “This new center of excellence will strengthen our
green workforce and help GE continue to create solutions to better address our 21st century energy
needs.”
The center is expected to add about 400 new jobs over three years. It will combine the world
headquarters for GE’s Digital Energy business, a world-class smart grid engineering laboratory and a
world-destination smart grid customer solutions showcase.
To help develop and deliver the leading-edge technologies and solutions planned for the COE, GE will
need a highly trained “green” workforce. Funding from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
is being used to train and build a solid, energy-savvy human resource that will benefit the Atlanta area for
years to come.
In addition to federal government cooperation, the Georgia Economic Development Office and the
Georgia governor’s office worked with GE to help secure the green jobs for Atlanta.
“GE Energy’s decision to expand its presence in Georgia through the opening of the Smart Grid
Technology Center of Excellence supports our state’s strategic growth as a global leader in the energy
sector,” said Governor Perdue. “The solutions that will be developed at the Smart Grid Technology Center
of Excellence not only benefit GE’s customers, but also will serve as a model for smart and responsible
energy production throughout this industry.”
The smart grid lab features collaboration between GE and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia
Tech), one of the nation’s top research universities. The partnership will work to develop and test new
smart grid technologies that can help improve the efficiency, reliability and environmental impact of
energy transmission, distribution and consumption—from integrating more renewable energy sources,
like wind and solar, to lowering the peak power demand that lowers the need for new power plants, to
improving the ways consumers manage their power usage.
“Research on smart grid technologies and their related systems is important at Georgia Tech, so there
are limitless opportunities to collaborate with GE,” said Greg King, Strategic Partners Office at Georgia
Tech. “We look forward to working with GE in this latest area of technology and innovation.”
The smart grid customer solutions showcase will feature hands-on interactive displays that can help
visitors from throughout the world understand the challenges and opportunities inherent in delivering
electricity over the power grid. Visitors will see how changes in the ways power is generated, delivered
and consumed can improve the ways they live—from plug-in car charging and home energy management
to renewable generation and automated grid communications networks. The showcase also will feature
in-depth demonstrations to help educate grid engineers about the proven energy-saving solutions
available.
“Georgia and metro Atlanta’s relationship and experience with GE is solid. The Chamber is proud to have
partnered with the state to help GE with this new headquarters project,” said Hans Gant, senior vice
president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “GE has steadily grown its presence
in Atlanta for a number of years and has had success in managing their worldwide energy and
infrastructure organizations from Atlanta. The high-paying jobs this new facility will create are the kinds of
jobs where the Chamber’s New Economy Task Force recommended we focus our efforts. Atlanta has
everything GE needs to continue to succeed: talent, quality of life and access to market.”
GE will move into the new headquarters in July, and the customer showcase is scheduled to open in
September.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest
challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions, and
television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people
worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of
natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $37 billion, GE Energy
www.ge.com/energy is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery
technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and
GE Oil & Gas—work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the
energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water,
wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.