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ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—State Rep. Rhonda Taylor, who represents Georgia House District 92, will host a virtual conversation on Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m., focusing on Georgia Power’s plans to meet the growing energy demands of data centers planned across Georgia.
Taylor said that while opponents and many elected officials have weighed in on the pros and cons of data centers, Georgia Power has not yet publicly discussed its strategy for powering the facilities, some of which are proposed for Rockdale and DeKalb counties.
Data centers are the backbone of the internet, housing critical IT infrastructure, including servers, storage systems and networking equipment. Opponents say these facilities are an environmental threat because of their robust consumption of energy and water, reliance on fossil fuels, noise and air pollution and local infrastructure.
“The virtual forum will give them the opportunity to discuss their plans and how those plans will impact the public,” said Taylor.
Presenters include Lisa Tolliover, Regional Agent for Atlanta/Metro East Region External Affairs; Chris Defnall, Legislative Affairs Manager; and Danny Johnson, Energy Assistance Manager.
Taylor also is urging Rockdale residents to voice their concerns on a proposed Rockdale data center campus during a public comment period that ends on Dec. 18. For more details, see the “Urgent Action Needed!” from her Nov. 20 online newsletter below.
Taylor’s virtual forum comes amid intensifying public scrutiny and community pushback. At a heated Nov. 20 zoning hearing, some local residents were escorted out by police after speaking against proposed data center developments. The facilities also have drawn heavy criticism from environmental organizations including the Sierra Club and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, grassroots groups, and civil rights organizations such as the DeKalb NAACP.
Two days earlier, on Nov. 18, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners (BOC) unanimously passed an emergency resolution urging the Public Service Commission (PSC) to delay its upcoming Dec. 19 vote on Georga Power’s application to add 10,000 megawatts of new power resources over the next five years—a multibillion project. Media reports estimate this level of capacity is equivalent to roughly 10 nuclear reactors at Plant Vogle near Augusta, GA.
Super District 6 BOC Commissioner Ted Terry, who introduced the resolution, said he is concerned about the potential environmental and financial impacts on local residents.
“It has been stated by Georgia Power Company that 60% of the energy sourced in this RFP would come from fossil fuels – either coal or natural gas-fired power, for the purpose of meeting Data Center power demands,” said Terry. “That means that any data center applying to be built in DeKalb County in the next 2-3 years would be powered by those 10,000 megawatts of fossil fuel energy. This is harmful for our environment, our health, and the power bills of DeKalb residents. This is important because this decision will impact future decisions that we make here, at the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners. It deserves careful and informed deliberation.”
The DeKalb BOC’s resolution also notes that the PSC’s Dec. 19 vote is scheduled just weeks before two newly elected PSC members take office, meaning they will not be able to participate in the decision.
Registration information for State Rep. Rhonda Taylor’s virtual forum is available in the event flier below.
Link: bit.ly/4ioZCrF
