Data centers in Georgia

Stephanie Burgess, Democratic candidate for Georgia House District 164, stated she would prioritize bringing transparency to data center development and would not vote for a data center if her constituents opposed it

Shelia Edwards said both the state and local governments have offered too many incentives to data center companies, causing development to move too quickly

Peter Hubbard said Georgia has provided substantial incentives to data centers while allowing them access to electricity under favorable large load arrangements

Joshua Tolbert criticized the lack of transparency with Effingham County's OpenAI announcement

Shelia Edwards called for greater transparency around large load contracts and criticized the state for a lack of regulations for data center water usage, noise pollution and ratepayer protections

Rick Jackson said local communities should have significant input on data center development.

Jackson said if a community wants to do it, that's fine, and if a community doesn't want it, he would defend them from not having it, but if they want an economic benefit, he would negotiate and make sure everyone gets a benefit and they still have control of that.

Greg Dolezal called for local governments to have control over data center development while states put strict guardrails in place to protect citizens' power bills

Josh McLaurin said he is concerned about environmental issues connected to data centers and called for a slowdown in data center development

Greg Dolezal said: I do not believe that we should be giving any sort of special tax treatment to large corporations, whether they're data centers or otherwise

Josh McLaurin said: Local governments should be getting the best of these trillion dollar corporations and imposing property tax relief in their districts by taxing the data centers instead, if that's what they choose to do

Rep. Mike Collins said he would support communities seeking data center development while opposing it where residents oppose it

Rep. Buddy Carter discussed Georgia's rise as a leader in data center construction and warned that the United States cannot afford to lose the critical artificial intelligence race against China.

AWS announced it will no longer use nondisclosure agreements with government agencies on data center projects.

Susan Wierman wrote reader commentary that data centers can be responsibly regulated without losing business.

Rick Jackson, Georgia Republican gubernatorial nominee, promised that local governments and residents would decide whether data center projects move forward, and projects would not move forward if developers shift costs, harm the environment, or fail to provide concrete benefits.

Ansley Brown announced demolition of childhood home in Coweta County for Ashley Park Wansley transmission project

Brown stated data center transmission project is being built largely to support private sector data centers but is classified as public use project under eminent domain

Dr. Christopher Kadlec warned that emergency backup power systems present environmental considerations, particularly diesel powered generators during severe weather in south Georgia.

Dr. Christopher Kadlec, Georgia Southern University applied cyber education director, explained that data centers are attracted to Georgia because of infrastructure, power, and Plant Vogtle nuclear generation.

State Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook expressed concern that data center industry is moving too fast and nobody has made the case of what communities get out of it

J. Thomas Perdue, Policy Analyst at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, stated that data centers are one of the most contentious political topics and policy discussion has shifted from attracting them to managing their growth.

Greg Dolezal, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor and state senator, said working families should not be subsidizing large corporations and opposed non disclosure agreements between government and private entities regarding data center incentives.

Google agreed to pay a premium for new electricity from planned upgrades as part of a new program Georgia Power submitted to state regulators on Monday.

Data centers provide computing power and storage behind internet based services

Georgia Power stated the plan would use federal and state tax credits and a pending loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to offset some upgrade costs.

Google agreed to subscribe to a new tariff and receive zero emission credits in exchange for supporting the nuclear upgrades.

Lucia Tian, Google's director of Advanced Energy Technologies, said data centers serve as a proof point for bringing new nuclear capacity online by expanding existing plants

Google and Georgia Power announced agreement to support nuclear power uprates at Vogtle and Hatch plants to secure clean power for data centers

Republican Rick Jackson says local governments, not the state, should decide whether data center projects move forward in their communities, while adding guardrails such as greater transparency and requiring facilities to cover their utility costs

Statesboro Director of Planning and Development Justin Williams made comments during the August 18 public hearing regarding the intent of the ordinance to prohibit hyperscale data centers

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms supports pausing new data center development while the state studies the industry's economic, environmental and infrastructure impacts

Data centers have operated in Georgia for 40 years

Greg Dolezal, Republican candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor, opposed the data center tax credit in 2022 as one of nine Georgia State Senate members.

In Effingham County this summer, a public development authority signed a $20 billion deal with OpenAI for a 1,400 acre site near Rincon with no public hearings, authority chief executive bound by NDA until week before vote, meeting notice posted only on building not website, reporters needed 12 open records requests to piece together what happened

Commissioner Alicia Johnson has been pressing the commission to meet in different parts of state to hear from constituents outside of Atlanta

Sierra Club organizing strategist Michael Hawthorne argued commission is supposed to set reasonable electricity rates; audience responded negatively to question of whether everything is reasonably priced

Savannah residents voiced concerns over OpenAI data center planned for Effingham County and called for more transparency around Georgia Power contract, described as largest for single customer since utility started reporting contracts in 2024

Josh McLaurin, Democratic candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor, calls for strong state regulatory framework on data centers.

Tricia Pridemore resigned from Georgia Public Service Commission on September 4, 2026, to join DC BLOX as executive vice president of energy, regulatory and policy

Raphael Warnock is calling for more AI regulation.

Pridemore was appointed to Public Service Commission in 2018 without prior energy or regulatory experience and ran for the seat that November winning with just over 50 percent of the vote

Edward Queen, director of Emory University's Center for Ethics, stated that when public officials move to the private sector, they risk undermining trust in the system even if rules are technically followed

Pridemore spent more than eight years on Georgia's Public Service Commission after being elected statewide in 2018

Jeff Uphues, DC BLOX CEO, stated Pridemore's track record will be instrumental in advancing energy strategy initiatives

Residents have organized a citizen led nonprofit to direct traffic to a website providing information about the data center project

Alicia Johnson, PSC Commissioner, stated: For over 100 years, the Public Service Commission has met in Atlanta and rarely, if at all, has meetings across the state.

Georgia Power stated that OpenAI will pay for all infrastructure needed to serve its facility and that costs will not be passed to other customers

County Manager Tim Callanan said staff plans to strengthen noise, lighting, buffering and other industrial regulations while adding requirements specifically for data centers

Tricia Pridemore joined DC BLOX as executive vice president of energy, regulatory, and policy

Jackson responded demanding Bottoms disclose her client list from a consulting stint and called her a two faced, double talking politician

Rep. Rich McCormick said data centers can generate tax revenue, improve local infrastructure and support energy production

Keisha Lance Bottoms wants Georgia to pause development of new data centers

Georgia PSC Chairman Jason Shaw said the commission has dealt with large load data center contracts for about three years

Bottoms called on Jackson to pledge to divest from every data center project he is involved in

Data centers have become a potent campaign issue in the Georgia gubernatorial race, drawing fierce opposition despite once being welcomed as engines of economic development

Keisha Lance Bottoms proposes moratorium on new data center projects in Georgia to allow state to study potential impacts

County attorney recommended a shorter moratorium period than one year

Keisha Lance Bottoms called for Rick Jackson to disclose his investment in data centers

Data centers and transparency are points of contention in the governor's race

Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance announced a six figure statewide advertising campaign on data center development benefits

Jaha Howard, pediatric dentist, expresses concern that AI data centers displace workers and questions their purpose

Amy Sharma, executive director of Science for Georgia, stated that the pace of data center and cryptomining developments has outrun understanding of their impacts on health and communities.

Commissioner Dean Kicklighter introduced the moratorium initially for a year long period

Jamie Banks, founder and president of Quiet Communities, stated that noise pollution is linked to cardiovascular disease, sleep disruption, stress and cognitive impairment.

CBRE attributes Georgia's data center growth to tax incentives, construction workforce, and business environment

Senator Raphael Warnock supports a statewide moratorium while Governor Brian Kemp supports data center developments

Thor Equities states each direct data center job at Kingston Technology Hub would create an additional 4.5 ancillary jobs.

Jen Ryan stated that Google worked with Columbia County leadership to exceed decibel standards and buffers for the data center.

Google representative Jen Ryan spoke at the Future Forward Summit about the Google data center coming to Columbia County, discussing standards for noise, lighting, and water usage.

Jen Ryan said data centers employ many people, citing hundreds of employees at the Douglas County data center on any given day.

Columbia County Commissioner Doug Duncan stated that Google was an opponent during negotiations but understood the county's vision.

Jen Ryan said the data center will follow certain standards when it comes to noise, lighting, and water usage.

Mark Cuban urged towns to demand enforceable protections from data centers, emphasizing oversight, water, and noise limits before approval

Bartow County Sole Commissioner Steve Taylor said he is pro data center because of revenue they can bring

Chairman Bennett stated he does not think the community needs a large scale Meta data center but will not impose an outright ban due to potential legal jeopardy

The power agreement requires OpenAI to pay a minimum power bill regardless of actual electricity use

OpenAI will cover the entire cost of grid upgrades needed to serve the data center

Capital spent on non data center construction in the US has fallen off a cliff while capital deployed to build data centers soars

Georgia Power cannot seek fuel recovery, infrastructure recovery or other cost recovery from Georgia customers for the data center project

OpenAI representatives have met with local leaders and residents to determine how community investment can serve the area

Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson said Georgia communities that want data centers should not have to hold off on development

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the rapid pace of data center proposals in Georgia sparked the need for the city to begin addressing the issue

Democratic Senate incumbent Jon Ossoff submitted an inquiry in April to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about data centers impacting people's power bills

ECIDA attorney Chris Murphy said intergovernmental agreement established responsibilities for each entity and provided legal basis for financial contributions

Resident Raymond Carver said residents felt pushed out of having voice in the situation

OpenAI will pay the school district based on the 18.018 mill rate rather than the 16.45 mill rate for 15 years

Board member Trisha Boyett said revised fixed rate structure would produce greater tax payments over life of agreement than using lower millage rates

County residents expressed concerns about power outages during hurricanes potentially worsening when data center power is prioritized over residential customers

County Manager Tim Callanan stated the project will proceed if it meets all federal, state and local ordinances and law

Commissioner Roger Burdette admitted the lack of transparency in the project announcement was a mistake and said he was wrong not to inform the community sooner

Warnock said the deal was worked out in the dark, under the cover of night

Raphael Warnock called for a moratorium on similar data center projects in Georgia unless big tech companies and developers can promise specific economic and environmental protections

Igor Belykh's research group at Georgia State University applies AI to address social media issues and accelerate research on social problems

Data centers that fuel artificial intelligence are meeting resistance across Georgia

If data center terminates contract early, PSC would decide whether Georgia Power could recover costs and who pays

Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said growth is not pushing electric rates up in Georgia

Warnock criticizes lack of transparency by Effingham County leaders in data center project approval

U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock calls for state moratorium on data center construction

Senator Raphael Warnock held news conference opposing planned data center in Effingham County, Georgia

Scott Johnson, Columbia County Manager, said the goal is to find innovative ways to grow the economy, protect residents, and reduce the burden of property taxes through the partnership

Peter Hubbard, Georgia Public Service Commissioner, stated data centers contribute to rising power bills and energy should come from lower cost resources

Governor Brian Kemp defends data center tax breaks and backs massive expansion of Georgia power supply

Doug Duncan, Columbia County Chairman, said the county is building a partnership that has the potential to generate billions of dollars in revenue for Columbia County and provide meaningful property tax relief for homeowners

Jovan Davis stated data centers use significant water with no set regulatory framework or restrictions in Georgia

Chris Clark, Georgia Chamber president and CEO, said the Chamber's new Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance will begin briefing policymakers statewide in September 2026.

Rick Jackson said data centers produce so much property tax revenue that they can eliminate property tax bills for everyone else in at least 70 counties.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, said at Georgia Chamber event in early August 2026 that we need a pause on new data centers.

Georgia has become one of the nation's leading destinations for data center development due to reliable power infrastructure, pro business climate, and strategic Southeast location.

Savannah Riverkeeper raised concerns about periodic closed loop drainage with chemical additives, water for power generation, and stormwater drainage and runoff

OpenAI stated dirty fluids will be properly and lawfully disposed of off site at drainage time and will never be discharged into local environment

OpenAI stated closed loop cooling after initial fill would have ongoing water needs comparable to a typical office building for restrooms, kitchens, cleaning, sanitation, and maintenance

Experts dispute OpenAI's minimal water use claims

OpenAI claims water use for the data center will be minimal

Effingham County commissioners clarified they signed no NDAs and have no agreements with OpenAI

Effingham County resident Mike Melton expressed surprise at OpenAI choosing the Savannah area for data center development

County Manager Tim Callanan said negotiations began under non disclosure agreements in early February 2026

Herndon said about 75 percent of companies the ECIDA works with require nondisclosure agreements during site selection

No rezoning was required because data center is a permitted use in industrial zoning

ECIDA signed nondisclosure agreement with OpenAI prohibiting public discussion of project before announcement

Effingham County Commissioner Phil Kieffer said 'No groundwater will ever go to this project. It will be supplied by surface water... It will be coming from the Savannah River.'

Aaron McLear, OpenAI's vice president of communications, said 'We're using minimal water, circulating the water throughout the building so that's not as much of a concern'

County Manager Tim Callanan stated company will pay for delegation of local officials to visit OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas

OpenAI expected to become the largest taxpayer in Effingham County history

The Industrial Development Authority approved what was announced as a 50 percent property tax abatement for 15 years

Effingham County manager details OpenAI data center process

Project could reduce county homestead property taxes by 40 percent

Georgia Power says OpenAI will pay full infrastructure and electric service costs to serve the facility

OpenAI has not finalized how much water the campus will use or where it will come from

OpenAI's property tax abatement was announced as 50 percent for 15 years; county records obtained by WTOC show a 37.5 percent reduction

OpenAI will pay the full infrastructure and electric service costs to serve its facility

Aaron Mitchell, senior vice president of Strategic Growth for Georgia Power, praised OpenAI's leadership and commitment to responsible operation

Parks Huff, attorney for developer, stated facility is needed and location is ideal for data center due to infrastructure proximity

Susan Clark requested moratorium on data centers in Marietta pending further study

Connected Georgia and America Connects created a website on June 15, 2026 and a YouTube channel the next week with a 30 second ad that garnered over 2 million views in about four weeks