AI data centers become flashpoint in Florida governor race

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• Sep 22
  ZONING·Jefferson Co., AL

  Bessemer to decide mayor, council, school races where a data center dominates debate

  Bessemer voters are deciding mayoral and runoff races for city council and school board today, with a planned $14.5 billion data center project dominating the campaign. Incumbent Mayor Kenneth Gulley faces challenger Louise Alexander, a former state legislator, in a close race following the August general election.

  AL.com · Jefferson Co., AL
• Sep 22
  VOTE·Florida

  Fort Meade residents gather to oppose planned data center

  Fort Meade residents and political candidates, including State Rep. Angie Nixon, gathered to oppose a data center development agreement approved by local commissioners earlier this year, citing environmental concerns and calling for greater transparency in the approval process.

  Bay News 9 · Florida
• Sep 22
  LAWSUIT·Florida

  Florida Democrats court GOP voters who fear data centers

  Headline onlyPolitico · Florida
• Sep 22
  VOTE·Orange Co. (FL), FL

  Tuesday’s Afternoon Update

  floridatrend.com · Orange Co. (FL), FL
• Sep 22
  LAWSUIT·Effingham Co., GA

  Georgia Residents Sue Over OpenAI Data Center

  Residents and environmental advocates filed a second lawsuit against Effingham County's Industrial Development Authority over OpenAI's planned $20 billion data center campus near Rincon, alleging improper public notification and lack of meaningful community participation in the July approval process.

  Inside Climate News · Effingham Co., GA
• Sep 22
  ZONING·Georgia

  Georgia Climbs to Fifth in U.S. Data Center Construction

  Georgia ranks fifth nationally in data center construction, with 227 tracked facilities as of August 2026, including 114 operational facilities. The expansion is driven by artificial intelligence demand and is reshaping state infrastructure and energy consumption, though creating concerns about noise pollution and community impacts.

  ungvanguard.org · Georgia
• Sep 22
  NEWS·Shelby Co., TN

  Residents react to Mayor Young's comments on data center developments in Memphis

  Headline onlylocalmemphis.com · Shelby Co., TN · also at Yahoo
• Sep 22
  NEWS·Tennessee

  Kairos Power selects Samsung C&T to help build 50MW SMR for Google in Tennessee

  Kairos Power selected Samsung C&T to help construct a 50MW demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that will supply energy to Google under a power purchase agreement. Samsung C&T will provide up to $100 million through equity investment and engineering services, with the reactor targeted for completion by 2030.

  datacenterdynamics.com · Tennessee
• Sep 22
  MORATORIUM

  Dubuque pauses large data center construction for 6 months

  The Dubuque City Council adopted a six-month moratorium on "hyperscale" data centers, defined by criteria including size of 100,000 square feet or larger, electrical demand exceeding 75 megawatts, server counts of 5,000 or more, or water usage for cooling exceeding 50 gallons per minute. The council directed the City Attorney's Office to develop a longer-term ordinance governing data center development.

  KWWL
• Sep 22
  NEWS

  Climate Week talks balance hope for clean energy against uncertainty over artificial intelligence

  Global leaders gathered for New York Climate Week to address climate change amid competing concerns about artificial intelligence's energy demands and renewable energy growth. Wars in Iran and Ukraine have increased fossil fuel prices, while recent climate disasters and planetary boundary breaches underscore the urgency of transitioning to clean energy.

  WVUA 23
• Sep 22
  NEWS

  Hochul Tightens Leash on Data Center Developers

  Headline onlytherealdeal.com
• Sep 22
  NEWS

  Data center clampdown: Governor pivots as voters turn against the industry

  Headline onlySan Mateo Daily Journal