The Monroe County Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Action Challenge Committee wrapped up more than a year of work with a 25-minute-long presentation and question-and-answer session in Washington, D.C.
BRECC Action Challenge Committee members Tammy Selman (Chairman), Richard Dumas, Mark Dye, Greg Boike, Betsy McGriff, and Commissioners Lamarcus Davis and Eddie Rowland attended the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) two-day BRECC Capstone Event in Washington, D.C on Feb. 27-28. Oglethorpe Power Community & External Affairs Manager Davis Warnell also attended the BRECC Capstone Event to show support for the Monroe County BRECC Team’s efforts.
Selman and Dumas gave a 15-minute presentation about Monroe County, detailing the history of Monroe County’s coal-fired power plant, Plant Scherer, as well as the county’s efforts to identify industrial projects to offset lost revenue associated with closures of a portion of Plant Scherer. At the conclusion of the presentation, Monroe County team members answered questions for about 10 minutes from some of the roughly 75 attendees, which included representatives from federal governmental entities such as the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and non-governmental organizations like The Community Builders and the Rocky Mountain Institute. Monroe County was the final of the seven communities to present during the BRECC Capstone Event on Feb. 27. At the conclusion of Monroe County’s presentation, Monroe County BRECC Team members provided gift bags to attendees with Monroe County-themed items, such as locally-produced honey, a county logo magnet, peach-flavored dressing, etc., donated by local supporters like the Forsyth Convention & Visitors Bureau, Georgia Grown, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, etc.
Commissioner Rowland said of the BRECC Capstone Event: “It was said several times by attendees there that our presentation was the best. That we seemed to be interested, passionate, determined, and confident. . . We made sure people in D.C. knew who Monroe County, Georgia was and how special it is to us.”
Monroe County was one of seven nationwide communities selected in January 2024 to be part of the year-long BRECC Action Challenge, which was supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
The Monroe County BRECC Team established four main Economic Diversification Strategies as well as goals and priority actions toward achieving them. The strategies include: Infrastructure Expansion, Workforce Development, Community Quality, and Energy Development. The Monroe County BRECC Team’s top focus is on getting financial assistance for infrastructure needs, including water, sewer, and roads, for the Rumble Road exit, which will be adding a new natural gas power plant, a new data center, and a new Buc’ee’s convenience store over the next several years.
In addition to its presentation at the BRECC Capstone Event, the Monroe County BRECC Team visited on Capitol Hill with U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, who serves Georgia’s Eighth Congressional District that includes Monroe County, and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, who represents Ohio’s 4th district. Dye’s son, Russell, is Jordan’s Communications Director and gave the group a tour of the U.S. Capitol upon its arrival on Feb. 26. Members of the group also met on Feb. 28 with staffers in the offices of Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock regarding Monroe County’s growing infrastructure needs.
Commissioner Rowland said Monroe County BRECC Team is also continuing to seek aid from State of Georgia officials for Monroe County’s infrastructure needs, and he hopes to report back soon with positive financial news regarding its efforts.
