Georgia state government steps in to move Rivian EV plant forward
The state of Georgia has stepped in to take control of the Rivian site near Covington amid local opposition to the planned $5 billion electric vehicle plant.
Local elected officials had been scheduled to vote next month on whether to rezone the 2,000 acres of rural property east of Atlanta for industrial use. They faced pressure from hundreds or thousands of area residents unhappy with the massive proposed factory.
But now local officials wont vote, after the state assumed control and withdrew rezoning applications. The state can more easily bypass local zoning laws.
Local residents who oppose the Rivian plant already faced long odds to block the project, which Gov. Brian Kemp hailed as the largest economic development project in state history when it was announced in December. Environmental groups also support the plant, viewing Rivians electric vehicles as a way to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change.
Read more: https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-state-government-steps-in-to-move-rivian-ev-plant-forward/Q6VUHTYJ5FBSNK3W24E4XB3WJE/