Georgia Data Center Toolkit Helps Communities Ask Questions
Drawdown Georgia has launched a data center toolkit to help communities statewide understand and address the impacts of rapid data center expansion, which includes concerns about electricity grid strain and water usage. State lawmakers are debating legislation regarding tax breaks and infrastructure costs, while local governments are enacting moratoriums or facing lawsuits over zoning decisions.
Drawdown Georgia, a state nonprofit, has unveiled a comprehensive toolkit for communities across Georgia to navigate the rapid proliferation of data centers. With approximately 100 facilities operational, 35 under construction, and hundreds more proposed, the toolkit aims to shift local discussions from fear-based to fact-based, empowering city and county officials to make informed decisions about new proposals.
Georgia, particularly metro Atlanta, is a national hotspot for data center development, experiencing a 52.3% year-over-year increase in under-construction capacity, reaching 2,882 megawatts. This growth is escalating concerns regarding the state's power grid, with the Georgia Public Service Commission chairman noting requests for an additional 16,000 megawatts due to data center expansion. The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper projects data centers could eventually consume 30 million gallons of water daily, equivalent to the entire city of Gainesville's consumption.
State lawmakers are actively debating legislation to adjust the financial burden on data center companies. Senate Bill 410 proposes ending sales tax exemptions for equipment, while House Bill 1063 aims to require companies to fund their own power infrastructure. Additionally, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs amended its Development of Regional Impact process to mandate review for all technological facilities, effective December 15, 2025.
At the local level, Monroe County and Crawford County have enacted data center moratoriums. Residents in Effingham County have filed a lawsuit challenging a zoning decision that approved a multi-billion-dollar AI facility, dubbed "Project Camellia," alleging opaque negotiations. Concurrently, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce launched the Digital Infrastructure Alliance to promote responsible development and enhance local transparency, emphasizing that the ultimate decision for data center integration rests with individual communities.