Paulding County approves data center moratorium
Paulding County, Georgia, commissioners unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data centers until January 1, 2027. This decision follows weeks of intense community opposition and aims to give officials time to update the county's development codes. Residents had raised concerns about power bills, noise, and environmental damage.
The Paulding County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data center development, effective until January 1, 2027, during a meeting on July 28, 2026. The purpose of the moratorium is to allow county officials to update existing development codes and incorporate community input regarding data center impacts.
This decision came after weeks of intense community opposition, with residents expressing anger at previous board meetings and packing public forums to protest zoning rules. Concerns raised by homeowners included potential spikes in local power bills, non-stop industrial noise, and damage to the local environment. Commissioner Virginia Galloway emphasized the need to "get our code together" and integrate community feedback.
The public's approval was evident as the meeting room erupted in applause following the vote, a stark contrast to earlier protests. Critics accused officials of using "quiet code changes" through "technology park overlay districts" to bypass traditional public hearing notices, which left residents feeling "blindsided." However, Post 2 Commissioner Sandy Kaecher defended the board's research into data center impacts.
While the moratorium does not apply to data center zoning applications filed before its approval, residents like Savannah Padgett expressed concerns that the six-month freeze might not be sufficient to address the complex issues associated with data center development, including water quality and power grid strain.