Georgia Gubernatorial Candidates Debate Data Center Construction and Water Supplies
Georgia gubernatorial candidates Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms debated data center development and its potential effects on water supplies. Bottoms called for a pause on new data center construction, while Jackson said projects should proceed only with local support and strict environmental standards.
Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms discussed data centers during their only agreed-upon Georgia governor debate, held at Assembly Studios in Doraville. Bottoms called for a pause on new data center construction while raising concerns about water supplies and criticizing Jackson over investments in companies involved in data center construction.
Jackson said he would support data centers only when local communities approve them and when projects meet strict environmental standards. He also proposed benefits such as lower power bills and property taxes for residents. Bottoms defended a development approved during her tenure as Atlanta mayor, saying it was part of a larger Georgia Tech project rather than a hyperscale data center.