How Data Center Developers Staked Their Claim in Rural Georgia

An investigation by DeSmog details how data center developers, particularly San Francisco-based Prologis and its local partner Atlas Development, LLC, have sought to influence local officials in Coweta County, Georgia, to approve a mega-project called Project Sail. The proposed development, spanning 830 acres near Newnan, aims to transform rural conservation land into an industrial zone, sparking significant community opposition. Local resident Jacqueline Lassetter, along with her daughter Daphne, traveled to Nevada to witness a large-scale data center, allowing them to visualize the potential impact of Project Sail, which residents fear will bring a decade of construction, pollution, and the destruction of local woodlands. Atlas Development, a company with limited prior experience in data centers but strong local connections, acted as the public face for Project Sail while Prologis's involvement remained largely hidden for months, a pattern critics say is common in contested data center developments. The company engaged influential Georgia lobbyist Arthur “Skin” Edge IV and local real estate agent Leigh Ann Green to advocate for the project and shape new data center regulations. Citizens for Rural Coweta, an opposition group led by Connie Lytten, organized after learning about the project, expressing frustration over the lack of transparency from the developers. Their efforts intensified following the Coweta County Commission's 3-2 approval of Project Peach, a separate data center development by CyrusOne in nearby Palmetto, despite opposition from Palmetto Mayor Teresa Thomas-Smith. This growing backlash prompted the Coweta County commissioners to enact a six-month moratorium on new data center decisions in May 2025 to allow for the drafting of new zoning laws. Prologis eventually revealed its role and publicly advocated for Project Sail, citing economic benefits like tax revenue. However, the process of finalizing new data center ordinances was fraught with delays, developer requests for amendments (some of which were incorporated), and continued public outcry. The article also highlights the role of Georgia Power and Southern Company in supporting such developments, driven by the booming demand for electricity, particularly from AI data centers, and the implications for energy infrastructure and costs.