MOULTRIE, Ga. — The cities of Doerun and Moultrie welcomed an Economic Development Bus Tour this week to display the great opportunity the cities provide potential businesses interested in locating in Georgia.

The Bus Tour brought statewide project managers from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and from Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) to see the cities and infrastructure firsthand, according to a press release from the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority.

“It is a unique opportunity for economic development project managers on a statewide level to visit the community personally, be hosted by city personnel and learn what makes the community a desirable location for businesses,” the release said. “State project managers link business owners that are looking to relocate with communities across Georgia that fit the needs of the businesses. This exposure for economic development opportunities only heightens the potential for economic and business growth for these cities.”

As public power providers, the cities of Doerun and Moultrie own and operate their own electric utilities. Those utilities are a financial and infrastructural asset to their respective communities that can make them attractive locations for potential business owners.

The Bus Tour was hosted by ECG and MEAG Power and toured 14 Southwest Georgia cities: Adel, Albany, Blakely, Cairo, Camilla, Cordele, Doerun, Douglas, Fitzgerald, Moultrie, Quitman, Sylvester, Thomasville and Whigham. All cities are members of ECG and MEAG Power as Georgia public power providers.

The Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority hosted the tour group in partnership with the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Moultrie Downtown Development Authority. Additionally, local leaders joining the guests included Doerun Mayor Michael Campbell and Moultrie Mayor Bill McIntosh, as well as Moultrie City Councilman Daniel Dunn and Colquitt County Commissioner Marc DeMott, both members of the Colquitt County Development Authority.

ECG provides economic and strategic services to community-owned utility systems that sell public power. As an advocate of local communities’ infrastructural and economic success, ECG partners with municipalities and industry experts to find cost-effective solutions that benefit the city, the community and utility customers. Recognizing that a community-owned utility infuses the local economy, ECG exists to provide resources to ensure structural reliability and economic success.

MEAG Power —the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia — is a nonprofit, statewide generation and transmission organization that is recognized as one of the premier join action agencies in the country. MEAG boasts a diversified fuel portfolio, with more than 65% of its energy mix coming from emissions-free generation resources. MEAG Power provides reliable, competitive wholesale electricity to its 49 member communities (including Doerun and Moultrie), who own their local distribution systems.