Georgia

Advancing Data Center Construction East convenes over 1,200 industry professionals in Atlanta this December to discuss challenges including power availability, permitting, workforce development and project delivery for AI-ready data center infrastructure.

datacenterknowledge · Fulton Co., GA

OpenAI announced a "Grid Protectors Program" at a data center in Georgia, pledging to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power during emergencies. The initiative comes as opposition to data centers spreads nationwide over environmental and energy concerns.

The Verge · Effingham Co., GA

Headline onlyFourWeekMBA · Georgia

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

A Texas-based property rights group launched the Buildout America campaign to defend Ohio landowners' rights to develop their property, including for data centers, as dozens of communities move to block such projects through moratoriums and bans.

Hoodline · Georgia · also at Yahoo

Headline onlyThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution · Georgia

Electricity prices have emerged as a major political issue in U.S. midterms as residential power bills nationwide have risen more than 10% since 2024, with even sharper increases in battleground states like Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Politicians are backing utility reforms including rate freezes and reduced guaranteed returns, while utilities plan record capital spending and rate increase requests.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser · Georgia

Headline onlyThe Daily Tribune News · Georgia

Georgia-based DC Blox plans to build a data center campus at a former Ford plant site on the eastside, with a proposed $15 million community investment plan contingent on tax incentive approval at the Nov. 2 City-County Council meeting.

Mirror Indy · Georgia

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

Two shipments of data center equipment totaling $23 million were stolen this summer after thieves rammed escort vehicles in separate incidents, with cargo bound for Georgia and Texas. The thefts are part of a broader national trend targeting high-value server hardware and components, with U.S. data center freight losses exceeding $100 million.

The Cool Down · Georgia

Southeast Georgia cities are receiving data center development inquiries following OpenAI's announced $20 billion Effingham County project. Communities across Bulloch, Bryan, Effingham and Liberty counties are implementing moratoriums and developing ordinances to regulate data center development, with concerns about water infrastructure and power grid vulnerability.

Statesboro Herald · Effingham Co., GA

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce held an invitation-only meeting Oct. 20 in Statesboro with southeast Georgia leaders to discuss data center development readiness as part of its Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance launched in July. The Chamber is offering communities resources and a Data Center Ready Community Designation program to help them prepare for digital infrastructure projects responsibly.

Statesboro Herald · Effingham Co., GA

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

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins spoke at a Leesburg campaign event, discussing diesel prices affecting farmers and advocating for local control over data center approvals. Collins also outlined plans to lower costs of living through tax reductions, deregulation, and energy independence.

WALB.com · Georgia

Midterm election results could reshape federal data center regulation, with a Democratic sweep potentially spurring legislation on grid costs and environmental reporting, while gubernatorial races in Texas, Georgia, and Ohio carry particular significance for data center development. Local opposition may relocate rather than halt projects, especially when facilities provide local benefits or self-supply power.

Oxford Economics · Georgia

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is assisting communities in evaluating their readiness for data center development through its Data Center Ready Community Designation program, which considers factors like available industrial land and transmission capacity to ensure responsible growth.

Coastal Courier · Georgia

The Rome News-Tribune · Georgia

Jefferson County has approved a technology zoning ordinance that includes regulations for data centers, joining other CSRA counties in establishing such rules. County commissioners cited economic concerns including workforce decline and rising taxes, though some citizens opposed the measure citing agricultural character and insufficient neighbor protections.

WRDW · Georgia

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

Southeast Georgia cities and counties are implementing data center moratoriums and developing stricter ordinances to manage growth anticipated after OpenAI's announced 1,400-acre Effingham County campus, citing concerns about water infrastructure and power grid vulnerability in a region previously considered unsuitable for such facilities.

Bryan County News · Effingham Co., GA

Headline only13WMAZ · Georgia

Headline only13WMAZ · Georgia

Savannah is seeking public input on proposed zoning regulations for data centers, which would define the land use and establish development standards addressing location, proximity to sensitive areas, and management of noise, water and electricity. The city aims to present the ordinance to City Council with adoption recommended for January 2027.

WJCL · Chatham Co., GA

Oracle announced it will provide access to Google's custom TPUs, becoming the first hyperscaler to offer the chips outside Google Cloud Platform. The company is also partnering with specialized chip makers like Cerebras and SambaNova, and storage providers like Vast Data and WEKA, to offer customers greater flexibility as AI compute demand exceeds current supply.

DCD · 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

Headline onlyThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution · Georgia

A proposed 542-acre data center campus near Eatonton in Putnam County would include up to 11 buildings consuming 520 megawatts of power, with a $3.5 billion estimated value and 2031 anticipated completion. The project faces a county moratorium on data center permits extended through November 2026 and requires local zoning approvals.

Construction Review · Georgia

Columbia County chair candidates Cambrey Wood and Alison Couch discussed data centers, traffic and growth at a library forum. Both prioritized public safety funding and slower residential growth, though they differed on data center development and approaches to managing county expansion.

WRDW · Columbia Co. (GA), GA