Prichard residents voice concerns over proposed data center at packed town hall
Hundreds of Prichard, Alabama residents attended a town hall to express significant concerns about a proposed data center by Edged Energy. Residents questioned the project's power needs, environmental impact, and data privacy implications. The Prichard City Council will make the final decision on the project's approval, with Mayor Carletta Davis noting the community's strong opposition.
Hundreds of residents packed Prichard City Hall for a standing-room-only town hall, voicing strong opposition and concerns regarding a proposed data center by Edged Energy. The community pressed company officials with questions about the facility's power consumption, potential environmental impacts, heat generation, and implications for artificial intelligence and data privacy.
Edged Energy spokesman Garland Christopher presented the project as an ultra-efficient, waterless, and sustainable data center intended for the vacant 911 data center site on Telegraph Road. Despite Christopher's reassurances and claims of transparency, attendees like Brick Finley expressed deep concern over data access and private information, referencing issues seen with other data centers.
Prichard Mayor Carletta Davis acknowledged the community's clear and loud message that they did not want the data center, emphasizing that the project was brought to her administration rather than sought by them. The decision for the project's approval now rests with the Prichard City Council, with no timeline set for a vote. Edged Energy estimates the project could bring millions in investment and create approximately 20 jobs.