The authority shall have the following powers:

(1) To have succession by its corporate name until dissolved as provided in this article;

(2) To institute and defend legal proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction and proper venue; provided, that the authority may not be sued in any trial court other than the courts of the county in which is located the principal office of the authority; provided further, that the officers, directors, agents and employees of the authority may not be sued for actions in behalf of the authority in any trial court other than the courts of the county in which is located the principal office of the authority;

(3) To have and to use a corporate seal and to alter the seal at pleasure;

(4) To establish a fiscal year;

(5) To anticipate by the issuance of its bonds the receipt of the revenues appropriated and pledged in this article;

(6) To pledge the proceeds of the appropriations and pledges provided for in this article as security for the payment of the principal of and interest on its bonds;

(7) To make surveys to determine suitable locations in the state for prospective industries;

(8) To make surveys to determine the availability of labor in various parts of the state and to classify such labor in terms of skills and educational levels;

(9) To assist counties, municipalities, local industrial development boards organized as public corporations in the state, or airport authorities organized as public corporations in this state pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title 4, or whether created by general, special or local law, or general acts of local application, if such authority governs an airport operated by a county and at least one municipality therein jointly, in the survey and analysis of their industrial resources and needs;

(10) To make grants of money to counties, municipalities and local industrial development boards organized as public corporations in the state, or airport authorities organized as public corporations in this state pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title 4, or whether created by general, special or local law, or general acts of local application if such authority governs an airport operated by a county and at least one municipality therein jointly, for the purposes and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Section 41-10-27; and

(11) To appoint and employ such attorneys and agents as the authority may require for the carrying out of its corporate purposes and the exercise of the foregoing powers.