Alabama commerce secretary presents 10-year Jobs Act report: 224 active projects, positive returns and 49 in compliance

Secretary McNair, Alabama Department of Commerce, told the Joint Interim Committee on economic development that the state—s Jobs Act has generated more than 2,000 announced projects in the past decade and that 224 Jobs Act projects are currently active.

"We are really excited to present this great news," Secretary McNair said, presenting maps and tables that, she said, show the distribution of projects across the state and the program—s economic performance.

The report shown to the committee said more than 220 projects announced last year and that those announcements represented roughly $4,000,000,000 in capital investment. Secretary McNair said the department used jobs incentives for 15 projects last year, covering about $1,500,000,000 in investment and an estimated 2,000 jobs. She described the agency—s approach as selective and based on modeling that requires a positive return to the state.

The department briefed members on longer-term program totals for the decade since the Jobs Act became law in 2015. The presentation summarized nearly 3,000 projects that have announced over the last 10 years and about $68,000,000,000 in total announced capital investment. McNair said the Jobs Act portfolio of 224 active projects represents more than $25,000,000,000 in capital expenditures and roughly 40,000 jobs tied to the program over the 10-year period.

On performance, McNair said the department now has two years of compliance data for projects that have placed facilities in service and met initial targets. The department presented an estimated 36% return on investment and reported an actual 35% return based on the two years of realized performance. McNair cited gross payroll as a driver of the outperformance: an estimate of about $3,500,000,000 came in at more than $6,000,000,000, she said.

Of the 224 active projects, McNair told the committee 49 projects are currently reporting compliance and 75 projects have not yet placed facilities in service and therefore have not begun receiving incentives.

McNair also reviewed program design features and related incentives the department can use, including investment tax credits, the jobs credit, abatements, AIDT (Alabama Industrial Development Training), industrial access, and the Growing Alabama initiative. She said the department—s modeling team, business intelligence and compliance staff, and local economic development organizations play central roles in evaluating projects and negotiating incentive packages. "They have to show a return to the state," McNair said.

Committee members asked about geographic distribution. McNair acknowledged uneven application volume across regions and said the department is encouraging partners such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to promote programs in North Alabama; she said she had spoken with TVA leadership and John Bradley about that effort. The presentation also noted the annual cap on the Growing Alabama program increases by $3,000,000 annually through 2028.

Representative Baker, chair of the committee, thanked McNair and noted the Jobs Act—s statutory requirement that projects demonstrate a net positive gain for the state. "I'm very much appreciative of that being enforced," Baker said.

At the end of the briefing McNair publicly recognized Deputy Secretary Angela Teal for long service; Teal has announced her retirement next May, McNair said.

The committee did not take formal votes during the presentation; members asked questions and the secretary described ongoing staff work and pending legislation to provide additional tools for the department.

McNair closed by thanking committee members and staff for their work on program reporting and compliance.