Data center legislation on DeKalb Commission’s May 12 agenda

The DeKalb County Commission is actively discussing new zoning regulations for data centers and a specific proposal for a 2 million-square-foot facility in Ellenwood, Georgia. Public hearings and committee meetings are scheduled to address the complex issues surrounding data center development in the county. The proposed ordinance aims to establish comprehensive land-use regulations, defining data centers by size (minor, medium, major, and campus) and stipulating requirements for applications, including noise assessments, and water and energy sustainability plans. Commissioner Ted Terry has introduced resolutions to cap development at 500,000 square feet, mandate special land-use permits for all applications, and incentivize 100 percent renewable energy. He has also proposed a "For the People AI Tech Dividend Fund" to allocate 50% of new data center tax revenue to community projects, 25% to the county's reserve fund, and 25% to core county services. Strong community opposition has emerged, with residents like Gina Mangham, Jocelyn O’Neil, and Jan Dunaway expressing concerns about the environmental impact of hyperscale data centers, particularly their water and energy consumption. Dunaway, a Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, highlighted issues with closed-loop cooling systems requiring significant daily water replenishment that cannot be filtered by existing treatment plants. Currently, a moratorium on new data center applications is enacted through June 23, with the possibility of extension. The special land-use permit application for the Ellenwood facility, proposed by PCC-DeKalb, LLC, has been deferred until July. County staff had recommended denying this application due to its inconsistency with existing zoning districts, considering it more akin to disallowed warehousing and storage.