The Georgia Supreme Court has cleared the way for automaker Rivian to build an electric vehicle manufacturing plant east of Atlanta. The justices have declined to hear an appeal challenging the $5 billion project’s bond agreements with the state and the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton, and Walton counties.
The plant will create 7,500 direct jobs, not counting the indirect jobs various suppliers generate. The state Court of Appeals had earlier dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of local residents accusing the state and development authority of bypassing local zoning regulations. Development of the 2,000-acre site began last year, with the plant expected to start production in 2026.
The Rivian project is surpassed in scope only by the vast EV plant Hyundai is building west of Savannah. The Hyundai project, the largest economic development undertaking in Georgia's history, represents a $5.5 billion investment and 8,100 jobs.
