Georgia's hidden industry: Why are communities divided?

The Rome News-Tribune's series, "Georgia’s hidden industry," highlights the growing controversy surrounding data center construction in Northwest Georgia and beyond. Communities across the U.S., including Rome and Floyd County, are grappling with the perceived benefits and drawbacks of these facilities, with the discussion often becoming politicized and impacting local elections. Key concerns raised by residents like Ron Swinford include a lack of transparency from elected officials regarding deals, skepticism about promised property tax reductions, and the potential strain on water and electricity resources. Swinford, a Floyd County resident, actively organizes against data centers, expressing deep skepticism about their community benefits despite official claims. He points to the common belief that tax deals are negotiated behind closed doors, eroding public trust. Conversely, Floyd County Commissioner Scotty Hancock advocates for data centers, viewing them as the best opportunity for property tax relief due to their significant revenue generation potential. Hancock suggests a moratorium might be appropriate only after a few data centers are established to demonstrate tax benefits, countering what he calls "not in my backyard" sentiment. The article details specific projects, including three approved data center sites in Floyd County (a 347-acre Microsoft data center on Huffaker Road, the 178-acre Plainville Road Project, and the 114-acre Coosa Project) and one in Rome (the 100-acre former Battey Business Complex, sold by the Rome-Floyd Development Authority). In Coweta County, residents are opposing "Project Sail," a $17 billion hyperscale data center joint venture between Atlas Development and Prologis. Environmental and infrastructural concerns are prominent, with discussions focusing on data centers' substantial water and electricity demands. While newer facilities claim to use less water, residents like Swinford demand public negotiation on such issues, including chemical use in water treatment. Georgia Power's request to generate an additional 10 gigawatts of power, primarily for data centers, has sparked fears among residential customers about increased electricity costs, despite attempts by lawmakers like Sen. Chuck Hufstetler to insulate ratepayers from these expenses. The Maine House of Representatives also passed a bill for a statewide ban on data centers until 2027, which now advances to the state Senate.