Athens-Clarke County Commission Extends Moratorium on Data Centers

The Athens-Clarke County Commission has extended a moratorium on new data centers for three months as they work on an ordinance to restrict or potentially ban their construction. Commissioners express concern over the impact of data centers and aim to make the process "as onerous as possible." Proposed regulations would limit data centers to industrial areas and require closed-loop cooling systems. Some commissioners have discussed the possibility of an outright ban, as well as mandates for data centers to generate their own clean energy. The commission is waiting to see what actions the Georgia legislature takes before passing local legislation. Meanwhile, the county has secured $3.5 million in federal funding to build a gymnasium, and additional transportation grant deadlines have been extended.