Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026
Good morning! Our regular Coast Watcher is out chasing critters this week, so we’re filling in. There’s plenty of news, and there’s a lot to learn. Grab a light and let’s see what’s there.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send us a note at staff@thecurrentga.org.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Assess the land-swap effects
Cumberland Island National Seashore last week released an environmental assessment of its controversial plan to exchange federally owned land on the island for privately owned parcels. Details of the first two swaps, released earlier this year, revealed that private owners will be allowed to build multiple large houses on Georgia’s largest barrier island. But the National Park Service holds that the deals consolidate publicly held land and strengthen protections.
You can attend the park service-sponsored public meeting from 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Santa Maria Venue, 611 Osborne St., St. Marys. NPS staff will present details, answer questions and guide visitors through the EA and comment process. Public comments will be accepted through Oct. 16.
Read and comment on the the 81-page environmental assessment here.
NEWS: GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
Tour for data center accountability
AI Data Center Revolt, an anti-AI bus tour, made a stop in Effingham County on Tuesday evening ahead of a county commission meeting that ultimately stripped proposed data center discussions from its agenda.
The tour is run by Humans First, a conservative organization founded by Amy Kremer, who is former chair of Tea Party Express and a Tea Party founder and Georgia state RNC National Committeewoman, advocating for American First values in connection with national AI and data center rollouts.
Standing outside the bus in Springfield was a group of about 20 people, including speakers with Human First who made it clear that their messaging was not anti-AI or even fully anti-data centers, but were instead against community exclusion in decisions about their construction.
“We’re tired of these NDAs, these shell companies, the secretive way they’re coming into communities all across the nation, and we want to give the people a voice and let our legislators know this is not the way we want to handle this,” said Cathy Latham, Texas State Director for Humans First.
— Sarah Harwell and Adithi Vimalanathan
NEWS: GOVERNING
PSC comes to town
The Georgia Public Service Commission came to Savannah this Tuesday for its second monthly meeting and a public forum. The meeting was relocated from Atlanta at the behest of Commissioner Alicia Johnson, who is from the area, citing energy and infrastructure growth in Coastal Georgia. County officials, representatives of Georgia Power and residents assembled in the morning for a packed meeting in the Old Chatham County Courthouse.
About 20 speakers raised concerns about high power bills, transparency in development contracts and the health and environmental issues associated with data-center construction. Many urged commissioners to prioritize resident concerns over corporate priorities and criticized OpenAI, the company behind a proposed data center in Effingham County, and Georgia Power. Georgia Power representatives spoke briefly at the end of the forum and defended their position saying that bigger customers enable a downward pressure on rates for everyone else.
Wish you’d been there? Here’s the video of the meeting.
— Adithi Vimalanathan
NEWS: UPDATES
ICYMI: insurance, creativity, EPA rules
- A pilot program in Massachusetts could have implications for all coastal towns and the costs of insurance. Plymouth will use a digital platform that models how different building improvements and climate resiliency projects within a specific zone would affect insurance costs and reduce risk to extreme weather events. Read more here from the CommonWeatlh Beacon.
- The City of Savannah has extended the deadline for applications for microgrants to aid student-led climate projects. The Youth Climate Action Fund will pay $1,000 to $5,000 to fund youth-led projects that help create a more sustainable, resilient and climate-ready Savannah. The deadline to apply is Sept. 25. Go to this link to learn more and apply.
- The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it is repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. It also announced it is taking a separate but related step to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants. The move will save the industry $300 billion while critics say it will endanger the health of citizens and degrade the planet’s health. Read the report from The Associated Press.
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A pilot program in Massachusetts hopes to crack the code on insurance in coastal communities
The town of Plymouth has partnered with the nonprofit InnSure to develop a digital platform designed to model how climate resiliency projects and building improvements can mitigate insurance costs and economic loss from rising sea levels.
DNR plan disregards majority of public comments to propose wider, longer docks
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources proposed expanding the permitted length of private recreational docks in coastal waterways to 1,500 feet, despite significant public opposition and debate over environmental impacts.
Rookery and Roots Conservancy aims to protect wildlife 2 miles from OpenAI data center
Isaiah Scott founded the Rookery and Roots Conservancy in Effingham County to protect local wildlife and Gullah Geechee heritage amid rapid industrial development and OpenAI’s planned $20 billion data center nearby.
The cost of keeping cool: Georgia Power customers struggle with summer bills
High electricity bills and rising temperatures have led to significant disconnection rates at Georgia Power, disproportionately affecting residents like Donica Odell during extreme summer heat.
Georgia doles out $50m in rebates for energy efficiency
A Georgia energy efficiency program has distributed $50 million in federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act to provide rebates for home upgrades such as improved insulation and HVAC systems.
How much water will Effingham’s OpenAI data center need? A lot – but not on site.
Reducing the water use on site at the proposed OpenAI data center will drive up its power-related water consumption offsite, experts say.
Georgia revises protected species list, adding 100+ for first time in 20 years
Georgia is set to expand its list of protected plants and animals by more than 100 species during its first major update in two decades, following a review by the Board of Natural Resources.
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