Advocacy groups allege improper permitting for Covington data center, power plant
Advocacy groups are urging Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to halt construction of a data center and power plant in Covington, Georgia. They allege that developers Volta Grit and Full to Grid started building without obtaining proper environmental permits, violating state and federal environmental laws. Crews are actively working on the site despite the lack of permit approval.
Advocacy groups are calling for the state to halt construction of a new data center and an associated power plant in Covington, Georgia, alleging that developers initiated the project without proper environmental permits.
According to Atlanta News First senior reporter Patrick Quinn, groups like Sustainable Newton and the Altamaha Riverkeeper, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, have sent a letter to Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD). They are urging the EPD to intervene and stop all construction activities, citing concerns about air pollution and potential violations of Georgia environmental law and the U.S. Clean Air Act.
The project involves Volta Grit developing both the power plant and the data center, while Full to Grid applied for a permit to produce 90 megawatts of power from 33 natural gas-fired engines. This amount of energy could power approximately 90,000 homes. However, the permit applied for by Full to Grid has not yet been approved.
Nancy Schultz with Sustainable Newton emphasized that the concern is not about stopping data centers but ensuring responsible development and limiting potential harm. Georgia currently hosts over 200 data centers online, with another 141 planned, ranking third nationally in planned data center capacity, according to a Pew Research Center report.