Utilities & Rates

Sen. Katie Britt called for Congress to enact President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge for data centers into law, while opposing national moratoriums but supporting local authority to reject such projects. Britt and other Republicans are navigating political pressure as data center opposition grows, with some GOP candidates increasingly opposing the projects ahead of midterm elections.

Yahoo · Alabama

Sen. Katie Britt said Congress should codify President Trump's voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge for data centers into law, while supporting local authority to reject projects. Britt backs bipartisan efforts to manage data center infrastructure demands and opposes national moratoriums but advocates for community choice on development.

Semafor · Alabama

orlandosentinel.com · Florida

Augusta will hold a final public meeting tonight on proposed data center regulations requiring facilities to maintain at least 500 feet from residential areas, meet noise limits, and use closed-loop cooling systems. The ordinance would not apply to an already-planned QTS data center near a residential neighborhood, prompting nearby homeowners' concerns.

WRDW · Richmond Co., GA

A Georgia Public Service Commissioner said Effingham County residents will not see higher electricity bills from OpenAI's proposed $20 billion data center, as OpenAI will cover all costs for the facility's power and grid upgrades under an agreement approved by state regulators.

WJCL · Effingham Co., GA

A federal judge denied Entergy Arkansas' request to block news organizations from publishing financial records about Google's West Memphis data center, citing First Amendment concerns about prior restraint. The underlying lawsuit over trade secrets remains pending in federal court.

KVOM 101.7 · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge denied Entergy Arkansas' request to block the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Arkansas Times from publishing details about a data center agreement with Google subsidiary Altitude Capital LLC. The Democrat-Gazette had published documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request showing Google will pay Entergy $526 million for a solar facility supporting the project.

The Arkadelphian · Shelby Co., TN

Florida's gubernatorial candidates are divided over data center development. Republican Byron Donalds supports the facilities with environmental safeguards, while Democrat David Jolly advocates for a one-year moratorium to study potential impacts on water, health and economics.

Tampa Bay 28 · Florida

Democratic Public Service Commission candidate Peter Hubbard says he secured an additional $7.50 in promised monthly bill rate reductions from Georgia Power as part of an OpenAI data center deal, while fellow Democratic candidate Sheila Edwards advocates for studying data center regulations statewide before implementation.

Flagpole · Georgia

Entergy sued the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Arkansas Times after they published confidential details about the utility's Google data center agreements, allegedly obtained through a public records request. A federal judge denied Entergy's request for a restraining order against the publications.

KATV · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge denied Entergy Arkansas's request to block news organizations from reporting on a data center agreement near West Memphis, saying the utility claimed the disclosure would cause grave harm to its trade secrets. The court will schedule a preliminary injunction hearing after parties confer.

K8 News | Jonesboro, Arkansas · Shelby Co., TN

Entergy Arkansas seeks to remove news articles disclosing terms of its deal with Google to power a West Memphis data center campus. Leaked documents show Google will pay $526 million for a solar farm, with ratepayers funding the remaining two-thirds of the $1.6 billion project through approximately $6 monthly rate increases.

Action News 5 · Shelby Co., TN · also at Action News 5

Entergy Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block publication of financial details related to Google's West Memphis data center project, alleging confidential information was mistakenly released by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. The dispute centers on whether the material qualifies as legally protected trade secrets under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, with U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky hearing arguments but not immediately ruling.

KVOM 101.7 · Shelby Co., TN

Entergy Arkansas sued to block publication of financial records related to Google's West Memphis data center, including details on the $1.6 billion Arkansas Cypress Solar and Battery project in Jefferson County. The company alleges confidential trade secrets were mistakenly released by the Arkansas Public Service Commission and seeks court restrictions on further disclosure, raising First Amendment concerns.

Deltaplex News · Shelby Co., TN

Documents obtained through a public records request revealed Google will pay Entergy Arkansas $526 million toward construction of a solar and battery facility to power its West Memphis data center. After the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published details of the agreement, Entergy filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the newspaper and Arkansas Times from disclosing the information, claiming it contained confidential business details.

Oklahoma Energy Today · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge denied Entergy Arkansas's request to halt use of documents about a West Memphis data center agreement that were released under the Freedom of Information Act. The utility had sought to prevent disclosure of materials it claimed contained trade secrets, but the court ruled against the temporary restraining order sought against the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Times, and recipients of the FOIA request.

WREG.com · Shelby Co., TN · also at WREG.com

A federal judge is considering whether to block the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Arkansas Times from publishing details of a data center agreement between Entergy Arkansas and a Google subsidiary, with the judge expressing both concern for Entergy's case and significant First Amendment concerns.

Arkansas Advocate · Shelby Co., TN · also at KTLO

Somerville homeowners opposing a proposed 50-megawatt bitcoin mining center plan to visit a smaller Russellville facility operated by Synergy South to assess potential impacts. The Russellville site uses no more than 12 megawatts and is located on a busy street near a highway, unlike the proposed Somerville facility on rarely-used Union Road.

WAFF · Alabama

Harpersville adopted a six-month moratorium on data center development in August and held the first of planned informational sessions to study potential economic and infrastructure impacts before developers approach the town.

abc3340.com · Jefferson Co., AL · also at abc3340.com

Senator Katie Britt called for public accountability in data center development while defending artificial intelligence technology as economically necessary. Britt supports the Ratepayer Protection Pledge signed by roughly 200 entities to prevent shifting AI data center power costs to consumers, though environmental groups have questioned its enforceability.

Alabama Political Reporter · Alabama

Alabama's attorney general said the state is working to ensure data center construction doesn't raise consumer energy and water costs, as several cities have implemented moratoriums. The state's Public Service Commission is reviewing how to approve power contracts between providers and data centers to protect consumers.

Yellowhammer News · Jefferson Co., AL

Foley, Alabama's fastest-growing city, will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed six-month moratorium on data centers, aiming to study potential impacts and develop tailored regulations before any projects materialize in the city. Unlike most Alabama communities that imposed moratoriums after developer proposals, Foley's is preemptive with no pending applications or discussions.

AL.com · Alabama · also at Yahoo, AL.com

Black residents in metro Atlanta communities including South Fulton and DeKalb County are mobilizing voters against data center expansion, citing concerns about increased utility costs and environmental burdens. The issue has emerged as a bipartisan concern ahead of state elections, with political candidates across party lines facing pressure to address data center development.

Capital B News - Atlanta · Fulton Co., GA

Shadowbox Studios will petition DeKalb County's Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 9 to reverse a denial of its data center proposal on 155 acres, citing three written county confirmations from 2023-2025 that data centers were permitted on the property and claiming it has spent nearly $37 million in reliance on those assurances.

decaturish.com · DeKalb Co. (GA), GA

ONE Nuclear signed an agreement to build a 2.88-gigawatt natural gas-fired power plant with battery storage and data center campus in Louisiana between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, located near SpaceX's planned Starbase project. The facility will initially use natural gas generation before transitioning to nuclear power when small modular reactor technology becomes available.

thecentersquare.com · Orleans Parish, LA

Google will contribute $526 million toward a 600-megawatt solar and battery storage project in Jefferson County, Arkansas, with an additional $190 million designated for transmission upgrades to support its West Memphis data center. The Arkansas Cypress project, estimated to cost $1.602 billion total, is expected to begin operating by the end of 2028.

KVOM 101.7 · Shelby Co., TN · also at Deltaplex News

Inadvertently disclosed documents obtained through a public records request show Google will pay approximately one-third of the costs for a 600-megawatt solar facility in Jefferson County, contradicting Entergy Arkansas' assertions that Google will bear full infrastructure expenses for its data centers. Entergy has threatened legal action against multiple parties to prevent further disclosure of the documents.

Arkansas Times · Shelby Co., TN

Entergy Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Arkansas Times from publishing details about its agreement with Google regarding data centers in West Memphis, claiming the confidential documents were disclosed in error.

arkansasonline.com · Shelby Co., TN

Memphis Light, Gas & Water operates 16 data centers ranging from under 1 megawatt to 150 MW and says no residential rates have changed due to data centers. Two expansions are planned by year-end, with two additional facilities requesting 350 MW total expected online after January.

wreg.com · Shelby Co., TN

Google is investing $526 million in the Cypress Solar facility, a 600-megawatt solar field with battery storage in Jefferson County, Arkansas, to power its West Memphis data center. The facility will begin service in February 2027, with demand gradually increasing to 600 megawatts by October 2029.

Construction Review · Shelby Co., TN

Google will pay Entergy Arkansas $526 million toward construction of Cypress Solar, a 600-megawatt solar and 350-megawatt battery facility in Jefferson County that will supply power to Google's West Memphis data center. Google will also pay $190 million for required transmission system upgrades.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Shelby Co., TN

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the state aims to balance welcoming data centers with protecting consumers from rising energy and water costs, emphasizing transparency from energy providers and ensuring economic development doesn't burden ratepayers.

1819 News · Alabama

OpenAI finalized a contract with Georgia Power for a 3.2-gigawatt data center in Effingham County that promises typical residential customers at least $15 monthly in rate reductions between 2029-2031. The Georgia Public Service Commission received an extended review period after public and commissioner scrutiny prompted additional customer protections in the agreement.

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer · Effingham Co., GA

Georgia Power has agreed to shield typical customers from data center costs under a new deal with state regulators, including a promise to increase rate offsets to at least $15 monthly by 2029 if data centers close or depart the state. Environmental advocates support the agreement but seek greater contract transparency and changes to the regulatory review process.

Savannah Business Journal · Georgia

Yellowhammer News · E. Baton Rouge Parish, LA

Mississippi Entergy customers are avoiding a nearly $5 monthly bill increase this month due to revenue from Amazon's data center operations, the utility announced. Under Entergy's Fair Share Plus program, large data center customers pay full grid connection costs while providing tax revenue, jobs, and community benefits to offset costs for existing customers.

Daily Energy Insider · Mississippi · also at Daily Energy Insider

President Trump said Monday that communities opposing AI data centers risk economic decline, while a Fox News survey found 70 percent of respondents opposed construction of data centers in their areas, citing environmental and financial concerns including water consumption.

WKRG · also at WHNT.com, WKRG

Georgia Power's Public Service Commission approved a contract with OpenAI's Project Camila for 3.1 gigawatts of power, with officials describing it as featuring historic strictness. The binding agreement ensures residential customers save $15 monthly and requires OpenAI to cover grid installation costs, while Georgia Power will manage power delivery to prevent outages in surrounding areas.

WTOC · Georgia · also at WTOC, WTOC

Georgia Power and OpenAI received approval for a 3.2-gigawatt data center campus in Effingham County, with OpenAI funding all necessary infrastructure costs and committing to demand-response flexibility. The project is projected to generate approximately $950 million in annual savings for residential customers beginning in 2029, while OpenAI pledges $80 million in community benefits.

The South Shore Press · Effingham Co., GA

Alabama's attorney general is urging state utility regulators to strengthen consumer protections during the state's data center expansion, arguing that Alabama Power customers deserve greater public participation in reviewing electricity contracts to ensure data centers pay their fair share of infrastructure costs.

stl.news · Alabama