What’s happening in Georgia
Georgia has become one of the most active battlegrounds in the national data center opposition movement. Two major bills are moving through the legislature in 2026.
HB 1012 would bar counties and cities from issuing any permit, license, or certificate authorizing construction of a new data center until March 1, 2027. Projects with approvals issued before July 1, 2026 would be exempt.
SB 476 passed the Georgia Senate on February 12, 2026. It would fund a reduction in Georgia's state income tax by eliminating nearly all state-sponsored tax credits — effectively ending the incentives that attracted data centers to Georgia.
The trigger: Georgia residents have watched their electricity bills climb as data centers consume massive amounts of power. Unlike seasonal residential demand, data centers draw continuous 24/7 loads measured in hundreds of megawatts. Ratepayers are subsidizing the infrastructure required to serve these facilities.
Why Georgia residents are concerned
Electricity rates. Georgia Power has proposed rate increases that residential customers attribute partly to data center demand. Data centers consume enough electricity to power hundreds of thousands of homes. The cost of building new generation and transmission capacity gets spread across all ratepayers.
Water consumption. Georgia's data centers use evaporative cooling systems consuming millions of gallons annually. In a state that has fought water wars with Alabama and Florida over shared river systems, diverting water to cool servers is increasingly controversial.
Tax giveaways. Georgia has historically offered generous tax incentives to attract data centers. SB 476 represents bipartisan acknowledgment that these incentives may cost more than they return — data centers create very few permanent jobs relative to their footprint.
How to oppose a data center in Georgia
Attend your county commission or city council meetings. Local elected officials control zoning and land use decisions. Public comment periods are your most direct opportunity to voice opposition. Bring specific concerns — water impact, property values, electricity rates, noise — and reference relevant state and local legislation.
Send a formal opposition letter. Written opposition becomes part of the public record and carries significant weight with commissioners. Letters should cite specific concerns, reference relevant statutes, and be addressed to every commissioner by name. We handle this for you →
Organize your neighbors. Join or create a local opposition group. More than 268 community groups across 37 states are actively fighting data center developments. Strength in numbers changes votes.
Engage state legislators. Contact your state representative and senator. Tell them you support regulatory frameworks that protect communities from data center impacts — including moratoriums, ratepayer protections, and environmental review requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a data center moratorium in Georgia?
HB 1012 has been filed and would ban all new data center permits until March 2027. SB 476, which would eliminate data center tax credits, passed the Georgia Senate in February 2026.
How can I oppose a data center in Georgia?
Attend your county commission or city council meetings, submit formal opposition letters to your elected officials, and engage with state-level legislation. More than 268 community groups across 37 states are actively fighting data center developments. We can research your local officials and send a personalized opposition letter on your behalf for you.
How much water does a data center use?
A single hyperscale data center can consume up to 1 million gallons of water per day during peak cooling. AI data centers consumed roughly 17 billion gallons nationally in 2023, projected to reach 68 billion gallons by 2028.
Do data centers lower property values?
Research consistently shows that proximity to industrial infrastructure — including data centers — can negatively impact residential property values. Windowless warehouse-scale buildings, diesel generators, and continuous noise are incompatible with residential neighborhoods.