In April, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Legislature adopted The Game Plan, a package of legislation the governor said will secure Alabama’s economic future. Ivey said the package will build on the state’s recent successes in economic development and bolster its ability to compete for job-creating projects in the future.

“The Game Plan will position Alabama for a new era of vigorous growth,” Ivey said while signing the package, which passed with broad bipartisan support. “It provides new levels of support for the state’s innovation economy. It will benefit all Alabamians in both urban centers and rural areas, and ensure our citizens are ready for high-paying careers.”

The Game Plan consists of four new measures — or, as the legislation refers to them, “plays”:

• The Enhancing Alabama’s Economic Progress Act extends to 2028 the sunset dates of the existing Alabama Jobs Act and the Growing Alabama program, while adding tools to increase their effectiveness. The Jobs Act is the primary platform for state government to provide incentives that help Alabama compete for new jobs, while Growing Alabama works to ensure an adequate inventory of shovel-ready business and industrial sites throughout the state.
• The Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) Act expands the State Industrial Development Authority’s ability to accelerate the site preparation process. This will expand Alabama’s inventory of available sites at a time when other states are moving to enhance their site programs.
• The Innovation and Small Business Act supports Alabama’s ongoing emergence as a technology and innovation hub, including investments in creating more opportunities for underrepresented businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises in rural areas and small towns.
• The Enhancing Transparency Act amends the Jobs Act to increase the transparency of information related to incentives received by companies locating new or expanded facilities in Alabama. This measure requires the Alabama Department of Commerce to publish details of incentives on its website, including the return on the state’s investment.

Greg Barker, EDPA

Leaders of Alabama’s economic development efforts supported passage of The Game Plan. The expanded incentive package provides critical resources for enhancing the state’s competitiveness for jobs in high-growth sectors, said Greg Barker, president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA).

“Governor Ivey and the legislative leaders did a great job building on proven incentive programs that already help create thousands of quality jobs in Alabama,” Barker said. “The Game Plan positions us to create more jobs in the future, including growth companies that bring the types of high-wage jobs the people of Alabama deserve.”

The Game Plan also encourages a full range of energy options for new and expanding businesses. The plan does not limit any form of energy production, giving more Alabama businesses the choice to use the sources of energy they want, including renewables.

Houston Smith, Alabama Power and EIA

“This is a win for Alabama and the people who live here,” said Houston Smith, vice president of Governmental Affairs at Alabama Power and chair of the Energy Institute of Alabama, which promotes reliable, affordable and clean energy to help grow Alabama’s economy. Smith believes The Game Plan contributes to that momentum.

“These incentives reflect good policy,” Smith said. “They will help to facilitate industry expansion. With that comes an increase in domestic energy production, keeping electricity affordable for consumers and reducing dependence on foreign energy. Increasing the range of energy choices available to businesses helps us achieve those objectives.”

Along with other key businesses and organizations that support economic development efforts throughout the state, Alabama Power was a leading advocate for passage of The Game Plan. Leigh Davis, senior vice president of Marketing and Economic Development at Alabama Power, welcomed the plan’s dual emphasis on supporting entrepreneurialism and innovation while also ensuring Alabama’s ability to compete for “game-changing” major projects that transform communities.

Leigh Davis, Alabama Power

“At Alabama Power, we see directly the impact on our state that comes from investing in the economic development ecosystem,” Davis said. “The Game Plan strengthens our ability to be competitive at all levels, providing the tools to continue the great work being done across the state and helping build a strong future.”