Effingham delays vote on site plan for OpenAI's $20 billion planned data center
The Effingham County Board of Commissioners unanimously tabled a vote on OpenAI's proposed Project Camellia data center site plan until Nov. 17, citing unanswered questions about noise berms, utilities, wetlands and backup generators. Residents opposing the project welcomed the delay, while commissioners also announced plans to discuss a possible data center moratorium.
The Effingham County Board of Commissioners delayed a decision on OpenAI's preliminary site plan for Project Camellia, a proposed 1,347-acre campus at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub. The plan includes six data center buildings, electrical substations, cooling infrastructure and other supporting facilities. Commissioner Roger Burdette requested the delay after OpenAI representative Richard Modliszewski could not initially confirm a written commitment to build a 20-foot berm along Hodgeville Road to reduce noise near residential neighborhoods.
Commissioners also raised concerns about water and sewer service, wetlands and the use of generators for life-safety and security systems. Residents and Protect Effingham Alliance organizers supported tabling the vote but said broader concerns remain, including building heights and the project's environmental and infrastructure impacts. The board is expected to consider a data center moratorium at its next meeting, while residents separately circulated a petition seeking tighter data center regulations and a ban on data centers in all zoning districts.