Warnock calls for data center moratorium in Georgia
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock called for a statewide moratorium on data center construction in Georgia, citing unacceptable secrecy surrounding a proposed $20 billion OpenAI facility in Effingham County. He proposed specific conditions for lifting such a moratorium, including guarantees against increased utility bills and pollution, and a ban on nondisclosure agreements. The Senator also criticized local officials for negotiating the deal without public input.
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock publicly advocated for a moratorium on data center construction across Georgia on Friday, expressing strong disapproval of the lack of transparency surrounding a planned $20 billion OpenAI data center in Effingham County. Speaking at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Guyton, approximately 11 miles from the proposed 1,440-acre site, Senator Warnock described the secrecy surrounding the project as "unacceptable" and criticized Congress for its slow pace in regulating the artificial intelligence boom.
Warnock proposed a framework for a potential moratorium, suggesting it could be lifted for specific projects if developers guaranteed no increases in water and electrical bills for residents, prevented water, air, noise, and light pollution, banned nondisclosure agreements for deal participants, and avoided "sweetheart tax giveaways." He highlighted concerns that communities are often outmatched by wealthy tech companies during contract negotiations.
A primary point of contention for Warnock was the absence of public hearings for the Effingham County project and the use of NDAs that bound local officials to secrecy before a memorandum of understanding was announced on July 22. Members of the Effingham Industrial Development Authority, who negotiated the agreement, defended the secrecy, with one member, Eric Johnson, stating that public negotiations would have led to a "No data center" decision based on "misinformation."
Senator Warnock firmly disagreed with this stance, asserting that it demonstrated "the height of arrogance and hubris" to proceed without input from the residents. He emphasized that the county belongs to its people, not to a corporation, stating, "This is not OpenAI County — this is Effingham County," and insisted that residents "deserve better" than decisions made "in the dark, under the cover of night."