Resolution sets rules for hyperscale data center project in Putnam County

A hyperscale AI data center now has some restrictions that were unanimously passed in a resolution Tuesday night at the Putnam County Commission meeting in Winfield. The multitrillion dollar tech giant Google doesn’t technically have to comply with restrictions set by Putnam County. That’s because of language in House Bill 2014 that doesn’t allow commissions to have a say in the approval process. The resolution that passed Tuesday night asks Google to follow guidelines when it builds its massive data center in Buffalo. The project already has approval. The Putnam County Commission said they’re lucky that it’s Google that’s building in Buffalo because it has been working with them on everything they’ve been asking for so far. “Putnam County is the second-fastest growing county and the second-highest per capita income so we are a leader in this state and so we want to send the message that we understand the need and the desire for developers to come in,” Putnam County Commissioner Andy Skidmore said. “We have a community here that's doing really well, and we don't want to mess that up." The commission has been hearing concerns and feedback from across the county on the proposed multibillion dollar project that would be built in Buffalo. "People are concerned about their property values or if their home is going to flood during construction,” said Heather Ransom with the group Putnam United. “We look at our neighbors in Mason County and what they're going through. We're concerned about the health impacts, a lot of things that are just unknown about these hyperscalers." Putnam United has been gathering feedback from across the county about the proposed Google data center and submitted their ideas for a resolution. The county’s version of that resolution is what passed on Tuesday. "While we may not agree 100% it's nice to hear and feel like they are on our side," Ransom said. The resolution asks the developer to pay for 100% of the utility upgrades and increased costs from the project, has a mandate for the company to pay for a water feasibility study to help protect wells and groundwater and asks for “nuisance mitigation” for light and sound concerns. "We're very thankful that the data center that chose to locate in Putnam County is Google because they have done things the right way," Skidmore said. Ransom said Tuesday’s resolution to mitigate impacts from the hyperscale data center are good and says she’s skeptical of the overall project. "They say there's going to be a closed-loop system but their permit sites 128 evaporative cooling towers do we want one at all and can we trust what they're telling us? I'm not so sure," Ransom said. FULL STORY: https://wchstv.com/news/local/resolution-sets-rules-on-hyperscale-data-center-project-in-putnam-county _________________________________________ Follow WCHS on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyewitnessnewscharleston/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wchs8fox11​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wchs8fox11/ For the latest local and national news, visit our website: https://wchstv.com/ Sign up for our newsletter: https://wchstv.com/sign-up