What was said about data centers in Georgia
115 statements from 75 speakers, grouped by who spoke. Each appears as said, with the date and the source. No verdict is attached.
From June 15, 2026 to October 2, 2026. Statements from every state are on Statements.
Data center companies 16
Developers, operators and builders of data centers and the technology companies that fill them, speaking through their staff and spokespeople. Every state.
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Amazon official
Data centers provide computing power and storage behind internet based services
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Google director of Advanced Energy Technologies
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
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CBRE attributes Georgia's data center growth to tax incentives, construction workforce, and business environment
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Google representative
Jen Ryan stated that Google worked with Columbia County leadership to exceed decibel standards and buffers for the data center.
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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.
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Google representative
Jen Ryan said data centers employ many people, citing hundreds of employees at the Douglas County data center on any given day.
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Google representative
Jen Ryan said the data center will follow certain standards when it comes to noise, lighting, and water usage.
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Hank Evans, OpenAI head of community engagement
OpenAI representatives have met with local leaders and residents to determine how community investment can serve the area
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OpenAI spokesperson
OpenAI stated dirty fluids will be properly and lawfully disposed of off site at drainage time and will never be discharged into local environment
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OpenAI spokesperson
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
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OpenAI claims water use for the data center will be minimal
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OpenAI Vice President of Communications
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'
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unnamed OpenAI representative
OpenAI has not finalized how much water the campus will use or where it will come from
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Parks Huff, attorney for developer, stated facility is needed and location is ideal for data center due to infrastructure proximity
Government 39
Officials in office, lawmakers, regulators, public agencies and courts, federal, state, tribal and local. Every state.
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Georgia State Representative
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
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Georgia Public Service Commission Commissioner
Commissioner Alicia Johnson has been pressing the commission to meet in different parts of state to hear from constituents outside of Atlanta
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U.S. Senator
Raphael Warnock is calling for more AI regulation.
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Georgia PSC Commissioner
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.
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U.S. Representative (R-Georgia)
Rep. Rich McCormick said data centers can generate tax revenue, improve local infrastructure and support energy production
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Chatham County Attorney
County attorney recommended a shorter moratorium period than one year
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Chatham County Commissioner
Commissioner Dean Kicklighter introduced the moratorium initially for a year long period
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Georgia Senator; Brian Kemp, Georgia Governor
Senator Raphael Warnock supports a statewide moratorium while Governor Brian Kemp supports data center developments
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Columbia County Commissioner Doug Duncan stated that Google was an opponent during negotiations but understood the county's vision.
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Senator, Georgia
Senator Raphael Warnock called for statewide data center moratorium in Georgia on August 28, 2026
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Bulloch County Board chairman
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
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Alicia Johnson, Georgia Public Service Commissioner District 2
The power agreement requires OpenAI to pay a minimum power bill regardless of actual electricity use
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Alicia Johnson, Georgia Public Service Commissioner District 2
OpenAI will cover the entire cost of grid upgrades needed to serve the data center
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Alicia Johnson, Georgia Public Service Commissioner District 2
Georgia Power cannot seek fuel recovery, infrastructure recovery or other cost recovery from Georgia customers for the data center project
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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
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ECIDA attorney Chris Murphy said intergovernmental agreement established responsibilities for each entity and provided legal basis for financial contributions
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ECIDA board member
Board member Trisha Boyett said revised fixed rate structure would produce greater tax payments over life of agreement than using lower millage rates
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Effingham County Manager
County Manager Tim Callanan stated the project will proceed if it meets all federal, state and local ordinances and law
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Effingham County Commissioner District 2
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
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U.S. Senator
Warnock said the deal was worked out in the dark, under the cover of night
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U.S. Senator
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
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Georgia Public Service Commission staff
If data center terminates contract early, PSC would decide whether Georgia Power could recover costs and who pays
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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
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Peter Hubbard, Georgia Public Service Commissioner, stated data centers contribute to rising power bills and energy should come from lower cost resources
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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
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Republican opponent for Georgia governor
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.
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Damon Rahn, Commission Chairman
Effingham County commissioners clarified they signed no NDAs and have no agreements with OpenAI
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Effingham County Manager
County Manager Tim Callanan said negotiations began under non disclosure agreements in early February 2026
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CEO of ECIDA
Herndon said about 75 percent of companies the ECIDA works with require nondisclosure agreements during site selection
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Tim Callanan, Effingham County Manager
No rezoning was required because data center is a permitted use in industrial zoning
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Brandt Herndon, CEO of ECIDA
ECIDA signed nondisclosure agreement with OpenAI prohibiting public discussion of project before announcement
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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.'
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Effingham County Manager
County Manager Tim Callanan stated company will pay for delegation of local officials to visit OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas
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Brandt Herndon, CEO Effingham County Industrial Development Authority
OpenAI expected to become the largest taxpayer in Effingham County history
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Brandt Herndon, CEO Effingham County Industrial Development Authority
The Industrial Development Authority approved what was announced as a 50 percent property tax abatement for 15 years
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Effingham County manager details OpenAI data center process
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Effingham County Industrial Development Authority
OpenAI's property tax abatement was announced as 50 percent for 15 years; county records obtained by WTOC show a 37.5 percent reduction
Chief executives 3
Chief executives, presidents, founders and chairs of companies, in technology, data centers, power and elsewhere. Every state.
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Jeff Uphues, DC BLOX CEO, stated Pridemore's track record will be instrumental in advancing energy strategy initiatives
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Jamie Banks, founder and president of Quiet Communities, stated that noise pollution is linked to cardiovascular disease, sleep disruption, stress and cognitive impairment.
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Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said growth is not pushing electric rates up in Georgia
Investors and finance 1
Investors, funds, banks and the firms that rate and finance data centers. Every state.
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Mark Cuban urged towns to demand enforceable protections from data centers, emphasizing oversight, water, and noise limits before approval
Utilities and grid operators 7
Electric utilities, cooperatives and the operators of the power grid, and the people who speak for them. Every state.
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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.
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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.
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Georgia Power
Google agreed to subscribe to a new tariff and receive zero emission credits in exchange for supporting the nuclear upgrades.
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Google and Georgia Power announced agreement to support nuclear power uprates at Vogtle and Hatch plants to secure clean power for data centers
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Georgia Power
OpenAI will pay full cost of infrastructure needed to serve the facility
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Georgia Power
OpenAI will pay the full infrastructure and electric service costs to serve its facility
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Georgia Power senior vice president
Aaron Mitchell, senior vice president of Strategic Growth for Georgia Power, praised OpenAI's leadership and commitment to responsible operation
Candidates and campaigns 10
People running for office, their campaigns and their parties. A candidate who does not hold the office is not an official. Every state.
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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.
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Republican candidate for Georgia governor
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
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Democratic candidate for Georgia governor
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms supports pausing new data center development while the state studies the industry's economic, environmental and infrastructure impacts
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Greg Dolezal, Republican candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor, opposed the data center tax credit in 2022 as one of nine Georgia State Senate members.
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Tanya Miller, Democratic candidate for Georgia Attorney General
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
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Josh McLaurin, Democratic candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor, calls for strong state regulatory framework on data centers.
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Republican gubernatorial candidate (via campaign spokesperson)
Jackson responded demanding Bottoms disclose her client list from a consulting stint and called her a two faced, double talking politician
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate
Bottoms called on Jackson to pledge to divest from every data center project he is involved in
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Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate
Keisha Lance Bottoms called for Rick Jackson to disclose his investment in data centers
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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.
Business groups and unions 2
Chambers of commerce, trade associations and labor unions. Every state.
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Chris Clark, Georgia Chamber of Commerce president and CEO
Data centers have operated in Georgia for 40 years
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Georgia Chamber of Commerce president and CEO
Chris Clark, Georgia Chamber president and CEO, said the Chamber's new Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance will begin briefing policymakers statewide in September 2026.
Advocates and residents 16
Advocacy and community groups on every side, residents, neighbors and people speaking at public meetings. Every state.
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resident opposing transmission project
Ansley Brown announced demolition of childhood home in Coweta County for Ashley Park Wansley transmission project
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resident and activist
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
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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
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Bill Wright, Pooler resident and multiple commenters
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
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Evan Karp, organizer
Residents have organized a citizen led nonprofit to direct traffic to a website providing information about the data center project
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Georgia Chamber
Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance announced a six figure statewide advertising campaign on data center development benefits
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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.
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South African civil rights groups are calling for a halt to construction of additional data centers until investigation of water, land and electricity resource use.
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Dr. Eileen Carter from the South African Human Rights Commission stated a key issue is lack of availability, consistency and transparency of information relating to electricity and water demand, land use, infrastructure requirements, environmental impacts and impacts on surrounding communities.
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Effingham County resident
Resident Raymond Carver said residents felt pushed out of having voice in the situation
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Carrie Weber, Effingham County resident
County residents expressed concerns about power outages during hurricanes potentially worsening when data center power is prioritized over residential customers
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finance assistant for Peter Hubbard and member of Atlanta People's Campaign
Jovan Davis stated data centers use significant water with no set regulatory framework or restrictions in Georgia
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Kevin Doyle, Consumer Energy Alliance
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.
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Steven Uhles, Communications Director for the Savannah Riverkeeper
Savannah Riverkeeper raised concerns about periodic closed loop drainage with chemical additives, water for power generation, and stormwater drainage and runoff
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Effingham County resident Mike Melton expressed surprise at OpenAI choosing the Savannah area for data center development
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Marietta resident
Susan Clark requested moratorium on data centers in Marietta pending further study
Researchers and analysts 4
Universities, research institutes, think tanks, pollsters, economists and consultants. Every state.
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Georgia Southern University applied cyber education director
Dr. Christopher Kadlec warned that emergency backup power systems present environmental considerations, particularly diesel powered generators during severe weather in south Georgia.
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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.
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Emory University Center for Ethics
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
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Experts dispute OpenAI's minimal water use claims
Other voices 17
Journalists, lawyers, former officials, and speakers the source describes in words that name none of the groups above. Every state.
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Representative
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.
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Susan Wierman wrote reader commentary that data centers can be responsibly regulated without losing business.
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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
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WABE article
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
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WABE article
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
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Atlanta News First (news report)
Pridemore spent more than eight years on Georgia's Public Service Commission after being elected statewide in 2018
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Atlanta News First (news report)
Tricia Pridemore joined DC BLOX as executive vice president of energy, regulatory, and policy
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Greg Bluestein, journalist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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
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unattributed
Data centers and transparency are points of contention in the governor's race
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Thor Equities states each direct data center job at Kingston Technology Hub would create an additional 4.5 ancillary jobs.
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Wall Street Journal
Capital spent on non data center construction in the US has fallen off a cliff while capital deployed to build data centers soars
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Ford
OpenAI will pay the school district based on the 18.018 mill rate rather than the 16.45 mill rate for 15 years
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Kevin Slote
Igor Belykh's research group at Georgia State University applies AI to address social media issues and accelerate research on social problems
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Kevin Slote, opinion contributor
Data centers that fuel artificial intelligence are meeting resistance across Georgia
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Steven Glover, WTOC reporter
Project could reduce county homestead property taxes by 40 percent
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Steven Glover, WTOC reporter
Georgia Power says OpenAI will pay full infrastructure and electric service costs to serve the facility
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America Connects (unnamed organization)
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
The group comes from the words the source gives for the speaker; how the groups are read. Every statement on the record is in CSV and JSON, with its group and its state.
