OpenAI data center project sparks outrage among Effingham County residents
Nearly 1,000 Effingham County residents confronted OpenAI and local officials regarding a secretly negotiated $20 billion data center project, expressing outrage over the lack of public input and concerns about environmental impacts and electricity costs. Despite the public backlash and a petition with over 7,000 signatures, county officials stated the deal is done, citing existing zoning permits.
Effingham County, Georgia, residents voiced strong opposition to a proposed $20 billion OpenAI data center project at a community session. Nearly 1,000 attendees, ranging from lifelong residents to students, confronted officials from OpenAI and Effingham County, expressing anger over the secretive negotiation of the deal, which includes significant tax abatements for the tech company.
Concerns raised during the heated three-hour meeting included potential detrimental environmental consequences, increased electricity costs, noise and light pollution, and traffic congestion. Despite the public backlash, Effingham County Commissioner Roger Burdette and Brandt Herndon, CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority, defended the project, stating that zoning permits were already in place and the deal was essentially 'done.' OpenAI Vice President for Communications Aaron McLear highlighted the county's existing utility infrastructure and zoning as key reasons for selecting the site and promised $80 million in community benefits.
The controversy in Effingham County echoes similar discussions in neighboring Coastal Georgia municipalities, where Port Wentworth in Chatham County has enacted a data center moratorium, and Bulloch County is considering one. On a broader political level, Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and former President Donald Trump have advocated for data center and AI companies to cover energy costs, defending the data center boom against what they describe as foreign opposition.