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Data center siting news for the Southeast
MORATORIUM· Tennessee·Tennessee Lookout

Democrat-leaning PAC goes after Republican congressional candidate over data centers

Read at Tennessee Lookout →

The Latest

  • Sep 23
    NEWS·Jefferson Co., AL
    Louise Alexander defeated incumbent Mayor Kenneth E. Gulley in Bessemer's mayoral election, marking the city's first leadership change in 16 years. Alexander campaigned on transparency and plans to revisit data center contracts, addressing voter concerns about lack of public input on a nearly 1,600-acre data center project supported by Gulley.
    Yahoo · Jefferson Co., AL
  • Sep 23
    NEWS·Jefferson Co., AL
    Louise Alexander won a runoff election with 54.53% of votes to become Bessemer's first female mayor, ending Kenneth Gulley's 16-year tenure. Alexander plans to review data center contracts within her first five days and address transparency concerns at City Hall.
    WBMA · Jefferson Co., AL
  • Sep 23
    DEALS·Florida
    Business and community leaders debated property taxes, data centers and workforce development at Southwest Florida's State of the Region forum. Key topics included a November ballot amendment that would expand property tax exemptions, with county commissioners warning of budget cuts to services, and data center development, which proponents said could generate tax revenue and jobs while critics expressed concerns.
    Florida Weekly · Florida
  • Sep 23
    NEWS·Columbia Co. (GA), GA
    Georgia is experiencing rapid data center expansion, with Google developing a 3,300-acre campus in Columbia County and approximately 83 projects across the state in various planning and construction stages. The Google facility could generate $4 billion over 35 years for the county, though expansion raises concerns about energy consumption and environmental impacts.
    WRDW · Columbia Co. (GA), GA
  • Sep 23
    HEARING·Richland Parish, LA
    Louisiana's community and technical college system faces workforce challenges as major industrial projects—including a Hyundai steel plant, Meta data center, and SpaceX facility—compete for skilled workers and instructors. System leaders say the colleges would need to double enrollment and increase annual funding by over $100 million to meet employer demands while retaining faculty.
    Louisiana Illuminator · Richland Parish, LA
  • Sep 23
    NEWS·Orleans Parish, LA
    Communities nationwide are experiencing economic growth and infrastructure improvements from data center investments. Loudoun County, Virginia, home to over 200 data centers, generated $1.2 billion in property tax revenue in fiscal year 2026, representing 39% of its budget, while Montgomery County, Missouri is benefiting from Amazon and Google commitments totaling over $25 billion.
    Pelican Institute · Orleans Parish, LA
  • Sep 23
    UTILITIES·Shelby Co., TN
    Google's $4 billion West Memphis data center project is funding road paving and free car washes to reduce dust concerns, while also providing energy-efficiency grants and launching a public transit system to benefit the community.
    Arkansas Radio · Shelby Co., TN
  • Sep 23
    LAWSUIT·Shelby Co., TN
    Yahoo · Shelby Co., TN
  • Sep 23
    HEARING·Shelby Co., TN
    A resident of Southaven, Mississippi reported experiencing noise from Elon Musk's xAI data center power plant at highway-level volumes, prompting him and others to form a nonprofit to challenge the facility's operations. Environmental groups allege xAI avoided required air permits by placing turbines on trailers, a strategy previously employed at the company's first data center in Memphis, Tennessee.
    Popular Mechanics · Shelby Co., TN
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