Lowndes County Resident Opposes Project Red Clay Data Center, Urges Commissioners to Reject Tax Breaks
A Lowndes County resident expressed strong opposition to the proposed Project Red Clay data center, citing concerns about secrecy, resource strain from water and power use, and potential negative community impacts. They urged county commissioners to reject tax abatements for the project due to a lack of transparency and resident input. The resident highlighted worries about utility price increases for citizens, environmental effects, and decreased property values.
Pam McCurdy, a concerned resident of Lowndes County, addressed the county commissioners to voice strong opposition to the proposed "Project Red Clay" data center. She highlighted a lack of transparency from the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission and raised numerous unanswered questions about the project, including the identity of the final tenant.
McCurdy expressed concerns about the environmental and economic impact on the rural community. She noted that hyperscale data centers require substantial water and electricity, predicting increased utility prices for residents while the data center would receive lower industrial rates. Other worries included noise, traffic, light pollution, decreased property values, and the long-term obsolescence of the technology, which could leave a vacant 1,000-acre site.
Criticizing the public engagement process, McCurdy described a recent meeting with "Cloverleaf" as informal and limiting transparency, preventing citizens from hearing communal answers to their questions. She emphasized that residents' voices have not been adequately heard despite repeated concerns. McCurdy urged the commissioners, as elected representatives, to vote against any tax abatements for the project, arguing that the $10 million in proposed tax breaks would not offset the project's negative impact on the community and its future growth.