Savannah puts data centers on ice
Savannah's City Council unanimously enacted a 155-day moratorium on large-load data centers. This pause will allow city staff to evaluate the demands these facilities would place on the city's water and energy resources. The move follows similar actions by about 40 other municipalities in Georgia.
Savannah Mayor Johnson issued a warning about the growing data center market in Georgia, stating that Savannah would not be immune to the pressure for development. According to the city's press office, Savannah has already been approached by a larger data center and has accepted a permit for a smaller, under 25,000 square feet facility, with another pending.
In response, the Savannah City Council unanimously enacted a 155-day moratorium on Thursday, specifically targeting large-load data centers over 10 megawatts and the conversion of warehouses over 200,000 square feet into data centers. This decision aligns Savannah with approximately 40 other Georgian municipalities that have also imposed data center moratoriums.
The pause is intended to provide city staff with time to assess the potential impact of these facilities on the city's water resources and energy grid. This evaluation is deemed necessary before official applications for large-load data centers are filed, allowing the city to determine appropriate permitting guidelines.