“We expect additional automotive supplier announcements in the coming months.”

In context

“interest rates. Half of the industrial variance for the quarter compared to last year can be attributed to the closure of a caustic soda manufacturing facility in Alabama. Excluding the impact of this single customer, industrial sales were down approximately 0.8%. In a trend that continues to differentiate our Southeast service territories from many other areas of the country, we once again saw record levels of economic development activity with job creation and capital investment announcements at all-time highs in the first quarter. We are beginning to see supplier announcements related to the Rivian and Hyundai electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in Georgia, with 6 supplier announcements made during the quarter, totaling over 4,200 jobs and nearly $2 billion in capital investment. We expect additional automotive supplier announcements in the coming months. Beyond the automotive industry, QCells recently announced a new $2 billion solar panel and component manufacturing facility in Georgia, which is expected to create 2,000 jobs. Additionally, the Port of Savannah continues to set records, posting its highest national market share ever and second busiest February on record. The port continues to expand capacity, including the recent announcement of the addition of 55 electric cranes, which are expected to eliminate 500,000 gallons of diesel consumption and related emissions per year. Before I turn the call back over to Chris, I'd like to call your attention to our recent dividend increase. At its last meeting, Southern Company Board of Directors approved an $0.08 per share increase in our common dividend, raising our annualized rate to $2.80”