Senator Raphael Warnock called for a moratorium on data center construction in Georgia on Friday, citing the lack of transparency regarding a proposed $20 billion facility in Effingham County.
Local agencies promise property tax breaks, but no word on what would be left in the bank.
The Georgia Public Service Commission approved a contract between Georgia Power and OpenAI for a 3.2 gigawatt data center in Effingham County, which includes protections to prevent residential and small-business ratepayers from bearing the project’s financial risks.
Georgia Power is expected to finalize a deal with OpenAI on Wednesday to supply electricity for a 3.2 gigawatt hyperscale data center in Effingham County, following a regulatory review process involving the Georgia Public Service Commission staff.
Critics raised concerns about inconvenient timing and an incomplete application during a public hearing regarding Georgia Power’s proposal to expand Plant McIntosh to support local data center growth.
Effingham County’s industrial development authority hired an Alabama PR firm to manage public pushback regarding OpenAI’s planned massive data center in Rincon.
Georgia Power secured an extension to negotiate its contract with OpenAI following potential objections from Public Service Commission staff regarding the $20 billion data center project.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is scheduled to hold a virtual public hearing on Friday regarding a draft air pollution permit for two new gas and oil-fired units at Georgia Power’s Plant McIntosh.
The nonprofit Science for Georgia found that projected electricity demand from dozens of proposed data centers in Georgia could reach between 29 and 58 gigawatts, potentially outpacing the state’s current power supply.
Georgia Power brokered it. OpenAI and Effingham County officials negotiated in secret. Here’s how they kept the $20 billion data center deal out of the public eye.
Georgia’s Public Service Commission is reviewing OpenAI’s electricity contract for a $20 billion data center in Effingham County.
In various Georgia communities, residents and political leaders from opposing parties are forming unexpected alliances to address concerns regarding potential data center developments and their impacts on natural resources.
A data center industry advocacy group launched a digital marketing campaign to improve public perception of electricity-intensive facilities amidst growing statewide opposition and failed legislative attempts to regulate them.
OpenAI has signed a deal with Effingham County for a $20 billion data center. But details about environmental impact, site design and water use remain opaque.
Effingham County residents had questions during a heated meeting regarding the lack of transparency surrounding a proposed $20 billion OpenAI data center project.
President Donald Trump expanded his Ratepayer Protection Pledge on Thursday to include nearly 200 additional stakeholders, including several Republican governors and tech companies, in an effort to ensure data center operators cover their own infrastructure and energy costs.
“It’s a done deal. It was the right fit for everyone,” a senior OpenAI official said about the planned Georgia data center. Nearly 1000 people disagree.
OpenAI is developing a $20 billion data center campus in Effingham County, which is scheduled to open in phases starting in 2028 and includes provisions for community benefits and potential property tax reductions.
Georgia regulators are investigating how large power users like data centers pay for fuel to ensure other Georgia Power customers aren’t paying extra costs driven by the growth of the energy-hungry industry.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp met with representatives of OpenAI to discuss the company’s business plans for Georgia, while locals have been rallying against data centers due to their high energy and water consumption.
The Garden City council voted unanimously to impose a six-month moratorium on data centers to review the impacts and consider amendments to the zoning ordinance.
Women are more likely than men to oppose the construction of data centers, citing environmental and health concerns, with many preferring a nuclear power plant in their backyard instead.
A Florida businessman suspended his efforts Monday to transform a nearly 700-acre tract of land in Camden County into a data center, amid mushrooming local controversy over the proposed facility’s economic and environmental impact and an unusual plea from the commander of the Naval Submarine Base at nearby Kings Bay. A public notice posted by…
The Camden County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a 6-month moratorium on data centers amid concerns about their energy-hungry operations and potential environmental impact.
Florida companies seek data center zoning in Kingsland
Georgia lawmakers introduced 20 pieces of legislation aimed at the data center industry, but none of them passed, leaving community members and advocates concerned about the impact of the data center boom on ordinary Georgians.
The Glynn County Commission is set to vote on new zoning ordinances that include a controversial section permitting data centers, which residents and environmental groups believe offers weak protections against the potential threats of data centers, such as high energy and water use and minimal job and tax benefits.
Georgia lawmakers failed to pass legislation to curb the impact of data centers, leaving local communities to bear the cost of the tax breaks and electricity rate increases, which has sparked outrage among voters and given Democrats an opportunity to gain ground in the upcoming elections.
A group of environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Public Service Commission, alleging that the commission broke the law by approving nearly 10 gigawatts of new energy generation without properly demonstrating a need for it, which the lawsuit argues will leave customers on the hook for an estimated $50 to $60 billion in…
The Georgia Senate passed a bill that critics say does not protect consumers from data center costs, instead largely maintaining the status quo.
The Georgia Senate adjourned abruptly before voting on a bill to ensure data centers pay for the energy infrastructure built to accommodate them, after a last-minute alternative measure appeared to have the votes to pass.
Georgia lawmakers are moving to protect electricity ratepayers from costs associated with data centers by ensuring that those costs are borne only by data centers.
Data centers in Georgia produced far fewer jobs and economic value than initially reported, according to a correction issued by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.
Data centers in Georgia have created thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact, while also providing local governments with increased property tax revenue, despite the state giving away nearly half a billion dollars in tax breaks.
The Port Wentworth planning commission unanimously rejected a proposal to define data centers in the city’s zoning ordinance, after citizens raised concerns about water and electricity usage, noise, and air pollution.
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