Georgia

Paulding County, Georgia officials voted Tuesday to halt new data center projects until January 1, 2027, while the county revises development standards following months of resident opposition over neighborhood-scale facilities and concerns about electricity costs, noise, and environmental impacts.

The Cool Down · Paulding Co., GA

Warner Robins is using a six-month moratorium on data center applications to study potential impacts on water, utilities, zoning and property values. The city will solicit community input at upcoming council meetings before determining whether data centers fit the community's character.

41NBC News · Houston Co., GA

Georgia Democrats seek to gain control of the state's Public Service Commission by capitalizing on public discontent with electricity rate increases and rapid data center expansion, hoping to win a third seat in the November election. The commission oversees utility rates, and environmental groups are investigating allegations that a data center developer began construction on a natural gas power plant before obtaining required air permits.

Washington Examiner · Georgia

Georgia Power is facing mounting pressure as rapid data center expansion emerges as the state's biggest energy challenge, surpassing previous nuclear plant debates due to the massive electricity demands and concerns about environmental impact, regulation, and costs borne by ratepayers.

WABE · Georgia

Headline onlySavannah Morning News · Chatham Co., GA

The Rome News-Tribune · Floyd Co., GA

The Rome News-Tribune · Georgia

OpenAI's $20 billion data center campus in Effingham County, Georgia was kept confidential through nondisclosure agreements with county officials until its July 22 announcement, according to a review of public records and interviews. The 1,400-acre project will require 3.2 gigawatts of power and employ at least 400 workers at an average wage of $80,000, with construction planned to begin in early 2027.

AJC.com · Chatham Co., GA

Albany, Georgia commissioners voted unanimously July 28 to impose a 12-month moratorium on new data center development while the city develops regulations and hires an outside consultant to examine best practices for the projects.

The Cool Down · Georgia

A Google data center coming to Columbia County, Georgia will be one of the largest in the United States at 8 million square feet, according to county officials. The project was approved after environmental restrictions were imposed, though some nearby residents expressed concerns about health risks and property values.

WSB-TV · Georgia

Headline onlyAJC.com · Georgia

A Georgia data center developer hired a company to build a natural gas power plant on-site to avoid grid connection delays, but construction began before securing required environmental permits, prompting state regulators to issue violations and environmental groups to call for enforcement action.

insideclimatenews.org · Georgia

More than 500 people attended an OpenAI open house in Rincon, Georgia on July 23, while hundreds protested outside against the company's proposed 1,400-acre, $20 billion artificial intelligence data center. Residents raised concerns about water consumption, noise, and the project's size, with some questioning the lack of advance notice, while supporters said the development could bring economic benefits to the area.

Yahoo · Chatham Co., GA

Headline onlyLocal 3 News · Walker Co. (GA), GA

The Paulding County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data centers during a July 28 meeting, effective until January 1, 2027, to allow time for updating development codes. The decision followed weeks of community opposition to four technology park overlay districts that residents said were established through code amendments rather than standard rezoning procedures.

FOX 5 Atlanta · Paulding Co., GA

Headline onlyajc.com · Fulton Co., GA

Headline onlyToccoa Record · Stephens Co., GA

Tom's Hardware · Georgia

Albany city officials held public sessions on data center development after mid-July rumors circulated in the southwest Georgia city. A University of Tennessee sociologist studying utilities and democracy said data center concerns are increasingly bringing together people across racial, class, and political lines in Southern communities.

Georgia Recorder · Georgia

Nearly 1,000 Effingham County residents attended a meeting where OpenAI and county officials presented a planned $20 billion data center project that critics say was finalized without public input. Residents raised concerns about environmental impacts, power consumption, and the secrecy of the decision-making process.

Yahoo · Georgia

The Rome News-Tribune · Georgia

AJC.com · Chatham Co., GA

Headline onlyThe Augusta Chronicle · Georgia · also at Online Athens

Georgia's 150-plus data centers are driving up electricity demand and requiring expensive grid upgrades, becoming a central issue in the state's open governor's race. Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms is calling for a construction moratorium, while Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and his opponent Rick Jackson support allowing data center development.

Politico · Georgia

An industry organization representing data centers has launched a public relations campaign in Georgia, including a website and YouTube channel, while the state Chamber of Commerce established an alliance to support data center expansion. The efforts come as lawmakers debate regulations and community opposition to data center projects intensifies across the state.

thecurrentga.org · Georgia

Google filed to expand its data center campus in LaGrange, Georgia, with plans for a 470,000-square-foot building valued at $1 billion that could be completed by 2029, joining an existing structure on the site.

Data Center Dynamics · Fulton Co., GA

Stillwater Development has filed to build a gigawatt-scale data center campus called Stillwater Technology Park in Lovejoy, Georgia, south of Atlanta. The project could include up to 15 buildings totaling 3.465 million square feet across 400 acres, with completion of the first phase potentially by 2031.

Data Center Dynamics · Fulton Co., GA

Senator Reverend Warnock is urging the EPA to issue guidance protecting Georgia communities' water supplies as data center expansion accelerates. Georgia hosts 230 data center facilities, and OpenAI's planned $20 billion facility in Effingham County would require significant power and water resources.

TheCitizen.com · Chatham Co., GA

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said electric vehicles remain a priority for his remaining six months in office, even as the state pivots to grow its electrical grid by 50 percent to power artificial intelligence data centers. Since pledging in 2023 to make Georgia the "electric mobility capital of America," the state has announced over $27 billion in private and corporate investments tied to EVs and battery manufacturing.

Politico · Georgia

A pro-data center industry group established a Georgia presence in June, launching a website and YouTube channel featuring promotional content as public opposition to data center construction grows statewide. The effort comes amid failed legislative attempts to regulate or restrict the facilities and high-profile protests against projects including a proposed $20 billion OpenAI facility in Effingham County.

Georgia Recorder · Georgia · also at WaltonTribune.com, Griffin Daily News