Utilities & Rates

Democrats won two seats on Georgia's Public Service Commission on Tuesday, ending three decades of Republican control. The newly elected commissioners campaigned on limiting Georgia Power rate hikes and restricting data center expansion, addressing voter concerns about rising electricity bills tied to energy-intensive facilities.

FOX 5 Atlanta · Georgia

Headline onlyLaw360 · Georgia

Lambda plans a $33.1 billion artificial intelligence data center campus in Alabama's Lowndes County, but residents and environmental groups have sued challenging the county commission's approval of more than $2.7 billion in tax incentives, alleging violations of state open meetings and records laws.

Construction Review · Lowndes Co., AL

Lambda announced plans to build a $33.1 billion data center campus in Lowndes County, with construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and take up to five years. The project is projected to create over 1,000 construction jobs and more than 225 full-time positions.

Alabama Political Reporter · Lowndes Co., AL

An analysis of 950 congressional candidates and 74 gubernatorial candidates found that 78 percent of newly elected Congress members and 94 percent of elected governors support regulating, restricting, or banning data center development, with many prioritizing grid costs, water use, and community protections.

www.trendingtopics.eu · Georgia

Voters supported environmental and democratic priorities in midterm contests, including data center restrictions in at least 38 jurisdictions and rejecting measures that would weaken environmental reviews or enshrine fossil fuel rights.

Earthjustice · Georgia

A newly elected Georgia Public Service Commission member is calling for a moratorium on data centers, citing concerns about their placement in residential areas and their consumption of water and electricity. Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms has also called for a data center moratorium.

WSB-TV · Georgia · also at WSB-TV, Yahoo

Lambda, an AI cloud computing company, will construct the Red Clay Technology Center Campus in Lowndes County, a $33.1 billion investment expected to create over 1,000 construction jobs and generate $3.4 billion in combined state and local tax revenue through 2049. Construction begins in first quarter 2027 and will take up to five years.

Yellowhammer News · Lowndes Co., AL

Lambda announced plans to build the Red Clay Technology Center Campus in Lowndes County, Alabama, with an estimated $33.1 billion investment, with construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and take approximately five years. The project is projected to support over 1,000 construction jobs and more than 225 full-time operations and technical roles.

Securities.io · Lowndes Co., AL

Lambda announced plans to build the Red Clay Technology Center Campus in Lowndes County, Alabama, a $33.1 billion AI data center investment expected to begin construction in early 2027 and take up to five years. The facility would operate at 1,000 megawatts initially with potential expansion to 1,500 megawatts and is projected to create over 1,000 construction jobs and more than 225 permanent positions.

Unite.AI · Lowndes Co., AL

Democrats gained control of Georgia's Public Service Commission for the first time in 30 years after Peter Hubbard and Sheila Edwards won seats, fueled by voter frustration over rising electricity bills, data center expansion and calls for greater accountability from Georgia Power.

Inside Climate News · Georgia

OpenAI launched a national Grid Protectors program to reduce data center electricity consumption during grid stress periods, building on its 25-year Georgia Power agreement allowing curtailment of up to 1,000 megawatts at a planned Effingham County campus expected to require approximately 3,200 megawatts.

TechTarget · Effingham Co., GA

Georgia Democrats won control of the state Public Service Commission for the first time in 30 years, with Peter Hubbard and Shelia Edwards winning seats that will give Democrats a three-of-five majority when Edwards takes office. The commission regulates Georgia Power's rates and approves major power generation plans amid growing electricity demand from data centers.

decaturish.com · DeKalb Co. (GA), GA

Democrats won both available Georgia Public Service Commission seats, securing majority control of the utility regulator for the first time in 30 years. Peter Hubbard retained his District 3 seat while Shelia Edwards won the District 5 seat, giving Democrats a 3-2 advantage on the five-member commission that oversees Georgia Power's rates and operations.

WABE · Georgia · also at The Current

Data centers emerged as a major issue on ballots in 13 states during recent elections, but Louisiana had no such measures despite hosting 42 data centers in various stages of development. National polls show majorities of Americans oppose AI data centers near their homes, yet Louisiana citizens have had no direct say in their state's rapid expansion to become the fifth-ranked data center destination.

NOLA.com · Louisiana

Republicans Stephanie Hilferty and John E. Atkins won Louisiana Public Service Commission seats in Districts 1 and 5 respectively with 59% of the vote each, giving Republicans a 4-1 majority on the utility regulator. The commission oversees electric, gas and water utility rates and energy policies affecting the state's major artificial intelligence data center investments.

New Orleans CityBusiness · Louisiana

Republican State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty won the Louisiana Public Service Commission's District 1 seat and Republican John Atkins won District 5, both defeating Democratic opponents by margins exceeding 20 percent. The victories give state Republicans a two-seat advantage on the utility-regulating board.

WWNO · Orleans Parish, LA

The Florida Public Service Commission unanimously rejected Duke Energy Florida's proposed data center tariff, determining it failed to comply with state legislation requiring large-load customers to bear their full service costs without shifting expenses to other ratepayers.

chronicleonline.com · Florida · also at Florida Phoenix

OpenAI confirmed it now prefers the term "compute campuses" for its data centers, with an Axios report describing the label as part of a policy and public relations push planned after the midterm elections. A Quinnipiac poll found 73% of registered voters would oppose an AI data center in their community, while Pew and Heatmap surveys showed similar opposition levels.

MarketScale · Effingham Co., GA

Georgia voters will choose two Public Service Commission members on November 3, with decisions on utility rates and energy projects in the balance. The races pit Democrat Peter Hubbard against Republican Fitz Johnson in District 3 and Democrat Shelia Edwards against Republican Josh Tolbert in District 5.

WJCL · Georgia

Southeast data-center construction activity is driving growth in the region's ConstructionTech sector, with Atlanta leading North America in data-center capacity under construction during the first half of 2026, according to a CBRE report cited by industry reporting.

shattered.io · Fulton Co., GA

xAI has installed eight refurbished jet-engine units fueled by natural gas at its Southaven power plant in Mississippi to supply electricity to its Memphis data center, but the NAACP and environmental groups are challenging the air permit and separately contending that temporary turbines operated there violate Clean Air Act permitting requirements.

The Daily Caller · Shelby Co., TN · also at The Daily Caller

Alabama's environmental agency has proposed capping operation of 42 diesel engines at Digi Power X's Columbiana data center to 90 hours per engine annually, though the draft permits contain conflicting provisions regarding emergency use that allow up to 100 hours yearly for maintenance and testing.

Environmental Leader · Alabama

Bisnow · Florida

OpenAI launched the Grid Protectors Program to reduce electricity consumption at its data center campuses during grid emergencies, using a Georgia contract as a template. The planned Georgia campus will demand 3.2 GW of power with up to 1 GW of flexible demand response available to the grid during high-demand events.

Crypto Briefing · Georgia

On November 3rd, voters in nine states will elect 14 officials to state public utility commissions as higher energy bills and data center issues gain prominence. Georgia's PSC is most likely to shift party control, with Democrats seeking majority power, while races in Louisiana, Nebraska, and Arizona could also see competitive contests.

MultiState · Georgia

Headline onlyThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution · Georgia

Wisconsin's artificial intelligence data center industry has expanded rapidly over the past year, bringing billions in investment while sparking debates over energy use, water consumption and farmland preservation. Several major projects have emerged across the state, though some proposals have been halted following community opposition.

The Lakeland Mirror · Polk Co., FL

Stan Connally, Southern Company's chief operating officer, will become Georgia Power's new chairman, president and CEO starting Jan. 1, replacing Kim Greene, who moves to lead Southern Company Operations overseeing the company's grid, power plants and infrastructure.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution · Georgia

Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development announced new requirements for data center companies seeking tax breaks, including commitments to prevent increased ratepayer costs, strengthen grid reliability, and invest in local workforces. The exemption program will now be invitation-only for companies making significant long-term commitments to the state.

WBRZ · Louisiana

Louisiana's administration announced new requirements Thursday for data center developers seeking the state's sales tax exemption, including detailed attestations covering workforce investment, grid reliability, and community contributions. The state will rename data centers "digital factories," and companies must invest at least $200 million between July 2024 and July 2029 while creating at least 50 permanent jobs.

96.5 KPEL · Louisiana

Entergy Arkansas filed a request with state regulators to build two battery storage systems costing $550.6 million combined to support Google's expanding West Memphis data center. The 250-megawatt Driver BESS and 100-megawatt Jones Mill BESS are expected to be operational by June 2028.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Shelby Co., TN

Data center companies are requesting massive amounts of electricity from Jacksonville's JEA utility, with one September 2024 inquiry seeking 1,248 megawatts—more power than current infrastructure can support. JEA officials cite supply chain constraints and the need for dedicated substations as obstacles to meeting these demands.

News4JAX · Duval Co., FL

Georgia voters will decide two Public Service Commission seats on November 3, 2026, in a race that could reshape how the state handles data center expansion. The election outcome may determine whether Democrats gain their first three-member majority on the five-member board in three decades, with control potentially affecting electricity rates and grid expansion decisions amid a data center pipeline involving more than 100 operational facilities and 119 additional planned projects.

Hoodline · Fulton Co., GA

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced Thursday he will rebrand data centers as "digital factories" and attach new requirements to a sales tax exemption for the facilities, including partnerships with universities and community commitments, as voter sentiment turns against AI data center development.

The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate · Richland Parish, LA

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced new conditions for a data center tax break and said the state will refer to data centers as "digital factories" as voter sentiment turns against AI buildouts. The economic development agency said data center companies must meet criteria including establishing university partnerships and making long-term community commitments to receive the sales tax exemption.

NOLA.com · Richland Parish, LA

Two Democratic candidates for Georgia's Public Service Commission have pledged to hold Georgia Power more accountable and ensure data centers' costs aren't passed to residential customers, potentially reshaping the state's regulatory approach to the data center industry's rapid expansion.

Bisnow · Georgia

Georgia is developing 120 data center projects planned or under construction, with major proposals including OpenAI's Project Camellia near Rincon at 3,210 megawatts and the Bridgeport campus near Moreland at 1,500 megawatts. Metro Atlanta dominates activity, with Fulton County leading at 74 existing facilities and proposed projects.

mainstreetnews.com · Fulton Co., GA

Two Shreveport officials—City Council member James Green and Caddo Parish Commissioner John Atkins—are competing in a Nov. 3 election for the Louisiana Public Service Commission's 5th District seat, which oversees utility regulation across 24 parishes and serves as home to major data center developments including Meta's $50 billion facility and Amazon's $16 billion investment.

The Hayride · Caddo Parish, LA · also at AOL.com, Yahoo, The Center Square

Public service commissions in Louisiana and Georgia will hold midterm elections for seats that could determine data center development policy. Democrats winning control of these commissions for the first time in decades could impose stricter oversight of data center projects and their energy infrastructure requirements.

The American Prospect · Louisiana