Georgia lawmakers tracking bills to pause data center development and reduce tax incentives
Georgia lawmakers are tracking bills that would pause new data center development, reduce or eliminate tax incentives, assign electricity costs to large-load customers, and require disclosure of water and energy use. The legislation is expected to be considered during the General Assembly session beginning in January, amid discussion of proposed data centers in Effingham County.
Georgia Tech’s Energy Policy and Innovation Center is tracking several bills expected to be considered by the Georgia General Assembly that would change how data centers are approved, taxed and served by utilities. The proposals include statewide construction moratoriums, reductions in data center equipment tax exemptions, and requirements that large-load customers bear the costs of electricity infrastructure needed to serve them.
Other measures would require data centers to report water consumption, energy use and community impacts. The legislative activity comes as the Savannah metropolitan area discusses two proposed data centers in Effingham County and as Georgia officials consider the broader environmental, economic and infrastructure effects of the industry.