Almost 100 gather in Demopolis to hear about possible data center

A town meeting held in Demopolis, Alabama, on April 30 drew nearly 100 residents to discuss a proposed data center project in Marengo County. Hosted by Black Belt Women Rising, the event featured Charles Miller of the Alabama River Alliance and attorney Ryan Anderson from the Southern Environmental Law Center, who provided attendees with information on data center impacts and advised them on questions to pose to elected officials. Community members voiced concerns regarding data centers' high water and power consumption, with cattle rancher Alan Martin confirming land sales for the project along Marengo County Road 2, near Highway 80, after he declined to sell his own property. While no specific developer was named, attendees speculated about the project's scale, hearing reports of 100 acres of buildings on a 1,000-acre site. Miller and Anderson emphasized that it's "never too late" for community engagement to influence the project, particularly given the trend of data center development in the South, often driven by lower land costs or perceived lax environmental regulations. The discussion also referenced a similar data center proposal in Lowndes County, which held its own public meeting.