Coastal water plans take shape

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026

Good morning! And welcome to the first Coast Watch newsletter of 2026. Today we’re diving first into ongoing water management issues. Then we turn to the state of EV production in Georgia. Finally, we have an update on new additions to the population of a Georgia state symbol, the North Atlantic right whale.

Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org

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EXPLAINER: ENVIRONMENT

Coastal water plans

What a difference a year makes. Coastal Georgia began 2025 with water battles brewing. But as the year progressed the region saw water supply issues ease. First the state made plans to double the production of drinking water from the Savannah River. In the fall, the demand on groundwater reduced dramatically with the closure of two International Paper mills. The Coastal Georgia Regional Water Planning Council met in December to begin developing a comprehensive strategy document to guide the reissuance of water withdrawal permits in the Savannah metro area, as The Current GA‘s Mary Landers reports.

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ANALYSIS: BUSINESS

Georgia ramps up EV production in 2026

Georgia is emerging as a hub for electric vehicle production, as Marion Hyde of WABE reports. Hyundai’s plant in Bryan County is already operating, and Rivian is establishing a new facility east of Atlanta. The growth of the industry is supported by an ecosystem of universities and high-tech companies, as well as new training programs for veterans and technical college students. However, the expiration of federal tax incentives for electric vehicles could slow down sales, forcing manufacturers to make EV prices more competitive with gas-powered vehicles. About 1.3% of vehicles registered in Georgia as of Monday are electric, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue.

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NEWS: ENVIRONMENT

Calves keep coming

North Atlantic right whales are having a better than usual calving season, with the 16th calf documented Monday off Fernandina Beach, Fla. With about three months remaining before the highly endangered whales head back north, the calf total is already better than it was in each of the last three seasons. But as the Associated Press reports, the species needs “approximately 50 or more calves per year for many years” to stop its decline and allow for recovery, according to NOAA scientists. The whales, which number fewer than 400, are vulnerable to collisions with large ships and entanglement in commercial fishing gear. In fact, every right whale that has given birth in the Southeast this season has a documented history of at least one entanglement in fishing gear. The New England Aquarium posts images and background information on each mother/calf pair here. The Georgia DNR posts photos of right whales here.

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SURVEY: LEGISLATURE

Tell us what you think

Another session of the Georgia General Assembly is looming, and we’re wondering if the priorities for elected officials match yours. Here’s a chance to tell them what you want to see. We’ve crafted our annual survey for you based on lots of meetings over the past month setting preferences from cities and counties. We also added topics awaiting attention from the past session that you told us were important last year. Thanks for letting us know what you think.

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Also noted

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources extended the state’s commercial and recreational food shrimp season through 6:15 p.m. Jan. 15. The extension applies to Georgia’s territorial waters, which extend three nautical miles offshore on the seaward side of the sounds, from the Georgia-Florida state line north to the Georgia-South Carolina state line. The current shrimping season originally opened on June 10.

Climate scientists warn that ramping up oil production in Venezuela as The Trump administration plans, would be catastrophic for the planet, The Guardian reports. Venezuela has the largest and most carbon-rich reserves of oil in the world. “If there are millions of barrels a day of new oil, that will add quite a lot of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and the people of Earth can’t afford that,” said John Sterman, an expert in climate and economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the National Marine Fisheries Service to force better protection of horseshoe crabs. Horseshoe crab populations have declined by more than 70% in recent decades because of overharvesting and habitat loss, the Center reports. Biomedical companies drain the blood of horseshoe crabs for drug safety testing, with biomedical harvests doubling over the past seven years.

Port Wentworth last month passed a controversial zoning ordinance defining data centers. As the Washington Post reports, a backlash against data centers is playing out across the country and many Trump supporters are among those opposed to the AI infrastructure.

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