Data Center Signal is tracking 25 clips about Southern Company data center developments across 7 states, including GA, AL, MS, TN, WA.
Rep. Buddy Carter says Georgia welcomes data centers, citing jobs, investment and innovation while emphasizing that projects must address community concerns in advance. He says Georgia laws require data centers to cover infrastructure and electricity costs rather than shifting them to ratepayers, and claims water and sound concerns have been resolved.
Cloverleaf Infrastructure is pursuing Project Red Clay, a proposed $1.5 billion hyperscale data center on roughly 800 acres in Lowndes County, Alabama. Residents and community activists oppose the project over a lack of transparency and concerns about water use, pollution, power demand, and the county’s history of environmental and infrastructure problems.
A new Alabama law taking effect Oct. 1 establishes protections intended to prevent large data centers from shifting infrastructure and energy costs onto other utility customers. The law applies to data centers requiring at least 150 megawatts in Alabama Power's service territory, including a planned facility and substation near Birmingham's Oxmoor Valley, while concerns remain about contract secrecy and public oversight.
The EPA is moving to repeal a Biden-era rule that set carbon emission standards for power plants, a change expected to increase greenhouse gas emissions in Georgia. This rollback would allow Georgia Power to run natural gas turbines, being built due to rising data center demand, at higher capacities without carbon capture. Environmental groups are challenging the repeal through a lawsuit, arguing it threatens public health and exacerbates climate change.
Keel Infrastructure is adding an onsite backup power system to its Moses Lake data center. This system, designed by PowerSecure, aims to ensure continuous operation during outages and decrease reliance on the local electric grid during high-demand periods.
U.S. Senator Katie Britt emphasized public accountability for data center developers in Alabama, advocating for a balanced approach to AI technology growth amid local controversies concerning environmental and energy costs. Her comments align with ongoing political debates in the state, including a proposed moratorium on new data center projects by gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones and a 10% electricity rate increase for data centers by TVA.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized two methane gas pipeline projects, South System Expansion 4 and Mississippi Crossing, totaling 500 miles across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, despite overwhelming evidence that they are unnecessary. The Southern Environmental Law Center plans to challenge the authorization on behalf of several environmental groups, citing concerns over public interest, environmental impact, and rising power bills due to data center demand.
Alabama Power is under scrutiny for redacting critical terms in data center contracts, preventing public and regulatory oversight of potential customer cost shifts. This issue is being deliberated by the Alabama Public Service Commission following a new state law. Local opposition to data centers has also intensified in the state, influencing municipal elections.
Georgia Tech experts held informational sessions in Rincon, Effingham County, Georgia, to address community questions about OpenAI's proposed $20 billion Project Camellia AI data center. Discussions focused on its substantial electricity and water demands, cooling systems, noise, and lighting, and how local ordinances can mitigate these impacts. Effingham County officials are considering additional local requirements and independent monitoring for the project.
Southern Company CEO Chris Womack discusses the growing demand for data centers due to AI, highlighting their strategy to manage this growth responsibly by ensuring data centers bear infrastructure costs. He specifically mentions a 25-year agreement with OpenAI for a planned expansion in Effingham County, Georgia, and addresses public concerns about electricity rates and environmental impact.
Georgia Power is proceeding with a major natural gas expansion at its Plant Bowen in Bartow County, largely to meet growing electricity demand from data centers. This project, which includes new natural gas turbines and battery storage, has broken ground despite significant environmental concerns and ongoing legal challenges from groups like the Southern Environmental Law Center and Sierra Club. Opponents argue the expansion will worsen air quality in the Atlanta region, which is already struggling with ozone pollution.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has joined a White House-backed "ratepayer protection pledge" aimed at shielding consumers from data center electricity costs. The pledge seeks to place the financial burden for grid upgrades and power on hyperscale and AI companies. TVA is committed to adjusting its rate structure for heavy electricity users in line with this pledge, with potential changes to be voted on by its board in August.
The Trump administration announced over 200 new signatories to its Ratepayer Protection Pledge, an initiative aimed at lowering utility costs associated with data center development. The pledge encourages tech companies to fund their own power infrastructure and grid upgrades. Major tech companies and utilities, including Google, Amazon, Meta, xAI, and Southern Company, have signed on, with 23 Governors also joining.
During a White House event, former President Donald Trump delivered a speech highlighting his administration's purported role in boosting data center construction. He cited examples from Georgia, Iowa, and Louisiana's Richland Parish, where data centers reportedly led to property tax elimination, frozen electricity rates, and teacher bonuses. Trump criticized the Biden administration and claimed he received insufficient credit for these economic achievements.
The Alabama governor and Southern Company have joined a data center pledge initiated by Donald Trump. This signifies a collaborative effort between the state government, a major utility company, and a national political figure related to data center development.
Georgia Power has appointed Beth Lowry, CEO of Holder Construction, to its board of directors. This move reflects the utility's preparation for increased demand from economic expansion, industrial growth, and particularly hyperscale data center development across Georgia. Lowry's expertise in large-scale construction, especially data centers, will be crucial as Georgia Power expands its infrastructure to support statewide growth.
Georgia Power is using eminent domain to seize hundreds of properties in Coweta and Fayette counties for a new 35-mile transmission corridor, Project Wansley. This expansion is designed to provide approximately 80% of its new capacity to data centers. Residents are strongly opposing the seizures, claiming unfair compensation and seeking legislative intervention.
Georgia Power has broken ground on a new 2,000-megawatt electricity plant at Plant Wansley, straddling Heard and Carroll counties, to meet the surging energy demand primarily from data centers across the state. The project, including a 500-megawatt battery storage system and a 1,500-megawatt natural gas plant, is supported by a $26.5 billion federal loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. Public concerns about data centers driving up electricity costs are addressed by Georgia Power, which claims data centers will help stabilize rates and pay for the new infrastructure.
Georgia Power is constructing a new 2,000 MW hybrid power plant in West Georgia, bordering Carroll and Heard counties, to meet the state's surging energy demand, especially from data centers. The utility company assured residents that data centers will not burden existing power bills, claiming they help stabilize rates, and the project is funded in part by a large federal loan.
Georgia Power has broken ground on a new hybrid energy system at Plant Wansley in West Georgia, consisting of a 500 MW battery storage and a 1,500 MW natural gas plant. This project is designed to meet the state's surging energy demand, largely driven by data centers. Data centers are contractually obligated to pay for the new infrastructure, which Georgia Power states will help stabilize power bills for existing residential customers.