Congressional candidate says he would support a data center moratorium
Congressional candidate Everton Blair, running for Georgia's 13th district, stated his support for a one-year moratorium on data center development. He advocates for establishing regulatory conditions that ensure new companies reinvest in communities and pay their fair share before further expansion. Blair noted that many moratoriums are initiated at the local level and emphasized the need for coordination between local, state, and federal leaders.
Everton Blair, a Democratic candidate for Georgia's 13th congressional district, expressed strong support for a potential one-year moratorium on data center development. Speaking on 11Alive, Blair articulated that such a pause is necessary until clearer regulatory conditions are established to ensure long-term benefits for communities.
Blair highlighted concerns that current technological advancements, while making lives easier, are not necessarily making them cheaper. He criticized the economic landscape where some individuals accrue extreme wealth from these advancements without adequately reinvesting in the community or paying their fair share in taxes. He emphasized the need for new companies, benefiting from a booming stock market, to contribute more to job creation and local economies before unchecked development continues.
The candidate acknowledged that data center moratoriums are often initiated at the local level, but stressed the importance of a coordinated approach involving local leaders, state representatives (referencing conversations at the "Gold Dome," Georgia's State Capitol), and federal oversight. Blair stated his intent to meet with these various leaders to collaboratively determine the appropriate conditions for data center development.