'Data Centers Can Be Very Good': Buddy Carter Calls For Community Partnerships With Data Centers
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) emphasized the need for data centers to partner with local communities and bear the costs of necessary infrastructure for electricity and water. He highlighted Georgia's existing efforts through its Public Service Commission to ensure large users pay for new electrical infrastructure. This approach, he argued, is crucial for maintaining public support and fostering beneficial economic development.
During a House Energy Committee hearing, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) spoke about the economic benefits data centers can bring to communities in Georgia, including private investment, job creation, and a strengthened tax base. However, he stressed that successful long-term projects are those that operate as partners with their host communities, emphasizing the importance of local jurisdiction and pre-emptive engagement.
Carter highlighted Georgia's approach to cost responsibility for new electrical infrastructure, stating that the state's Public Service Commission (PSC) has already mandated that large users, like data centers, bear the costs associated with serving their new demand, rather than shifting these costs to families and small businesses. He suggested a similar principle should apply to water costs and accountability.
Responding to Carter, an economic development expert (Mr. Bradley) agreed that transparency and cost responsibility are essential for maintaining public support for large projects. He noted that data center developers are increasingly committing to cover these incremental costs and providing system-wide benefits that can aid ratepayers. Carter also touched on the challenges faced by smaller, rural Georgia communities in maintaining aging drinking water infrastructure and discussed federal programs that could assist them, including expanding cybersecurity eligibility and workforce training for water systems. He concluded by reiterating that growth works best when companies, utilities, and local communities collaborate from the outset, ensuring fair cost allocation and visible benefits for existing residents.