Tyler, the Creator Joins Georgia Data Center Fight, Calls Out 'Insane' Plans
Musician Tyler, the Creator has joined residents in South DeKalb, Georgia, in opposing a proposed data center development, citing water contamination and environmental racism concerns. DeKalb County officials recently extended a development moratorium on data centers to further assess potential utility strain and environmental impacts.
Tyler, the Creator has publicly backed a South DeKalb, Georgia, community's campaign against a proposed data center expansion, expressing significant concerns over water contamination. Through an Instagram post, he criticized officials for perceived self-interest and urged collective action, although he expressed cynicism about the effectiveness of current protest methods.
The artist shared a video of Rev. Keyanna Jones Moore addressing the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, where Moore lambasted a proposed ordinance related to data centers. She argued the ordinance was "petty, asinine, and sophomoric" and failed to protect residents from what she termed "environmental racism" in communities like Woodcock City.
Responding to ongoing community concerns, DeKalb officials voted 5-2 earlier this month to extend a development moratorium on data centers through September 30. This pause is intended to provide additional time for evaluating the potential strain on utilities and other environmental consequences associated with new data center projects. Incumbent commissioner Nicole Massiah, who competed against Moore in a District 3 runoff election, supported the moratorium.