Effingham Co. manager addresses data center plan
Protests and demands for transparency have arisen in Effingham County, Georgia, regarding OpenAI's proposed $20 billion data center. County Manager Tim Callanan addressed concerns about the lack of early public notification, explaining that the site was pre-zoned for industrial use, thus bypassing typical public rezoning processes. Residents voiced worries about the project's impact on power, water, and noise.
Effingham County, Georgia, is facing public backlash and demands for transparency following the announcement of OpenAI's proposed $20 billion data center campus. Hundreds of residents attended a public open house hosted by OpenAI, where protesters urged county leaders to halt the project and raised concerns about power, water usage, and noise.
Effingham County Manager Tim Callanan addressed the public's questions regarding the lack of prior notification, explaining that the chosen site in the Savannah Gateway Industrial Park was zoned for industrial use two decades ago. This pre-existing zoning meant the project did not undergo a rezoning process, which typically triggers formal public notices, hearings, and votes. Callanan emphasized that allowing a public vote on a use-by-right development would be unconstitutional and attributed the perception of "lack of transparency" to the timing of the announcement relative to the long-established zoning.
Callanan stated that county leaders conducted due diligence, including visiting other data center sites, to understand and mitigate potential issues such as water use and noise. He assured residents that the county believes the OpenAI project will avoid the "horror stories" seen in other communities and encouraged residents with further questions to contact the county directly.