Marietta, GA approves 11-acre data center
The Marietta, GA City Council approved an 11-acre data center despite a recently enacted six-month moratorium on new data center requests and significant public opposition. Councilman Jason Waters defended the project, stating it was already in the pipeline and will serve critical law enforcement, medical, and emergency purposes.
The Marietta, Georgia City Council recently voted 5-2 to approve an 18-megawatt, 11-acre data center, a decision that has been described as controversial. This approval comes just weeks after the City Council imposed a six-month moratorium on new data center requests; however, this specific project was already in the pipeline when the moratorium took effect.
Marietta City Councilman Jason Waters, who voted in favor of the data center, appeared on Fox Business's 'The Bottom Line' to discuss the debate. He clarified that the approved facility is an "inference center" designed for law enforcement, medical, and emergency purposes, delivering essential data for everyday services like 911 calls and brain surgery. Waters dismissed concerns from opponents, suggesting that many were part of a "well-funded machine" and not necessarily local residents, despite reports some appeared to be from Democrat Socialists of America.
Waters emphasized that each data center project should be evaluated individually, highlighting that this particular 18-megawatt facility would have "zero negative impact on the ratepayer" and includes a closed-loop system, along with over a million dollars in sound mitigation. He asserted that the project "hurts no one" and would only benefit Marietta citizens, reinforcing that Marietta is "open for business." The moratorium, he explained, was enacted to allow the city to review its current zoning code, which was not written with data centers in mind. He also mentioned that council members have received death threats online amid the heated debate.