Some DeKalb residents want data center ban, not regulation

But several residents at the town hall said the regulations under consideration do not go nearly far enough. They also are specifically worried about a 1-million-square-foot data center “campus,” with an outdoor electric substation, proposed in southwest DeKalb at the Clayton County line.

A vote on that project is set for January.

“The community has said resoundingly that they do not want data centers,” resident Stacey Shorts said at the town hall to an eruption of cheers. “So my question to the commissioners is: Why do you guys keep on talking about installing data centers and regulating data centers when the people have said they don’t want them?”

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

DeKalb Commissioner Ted Terry, who hosted the town hall, said the county cannot legally establish a permanent moratorium.

“There are constitutional issues there,” said the Super District 6 commissioner.

The Board of Commissioners approved a temporary moratorium on any new data centers or expansions in July — then extended it in October — while county officials work on regulations.

Terry said the moratorium ends Tuesday, and commissioners are scheduled to vote that day on proposed regulations. But Terry said he will advocate at Tuesday’s meeting to extend the moratorium into the new year and defer a vote on the ordinance to allow more public input.

Super District 7 Commissioner LaDena Bolton, who also attended the town hall, said there is “still work to do.”

“I know we’re on the right track, but if nothing else, we need to continue having the conversation on what it would take to regulate, in order to make sure our health, our safety and quality of life are preserved,” Bolton told the crowd.

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

She added: “If we say no data centers whatsoever and there’s no legal standing for that, when they sue, then we lose all of our rights to regulate what we want. They can sue and get what they want. This way, when we regulate on the front end, we tell them what we will allow in our communities.”

In DeKalb, officials have drafted a proposed ordinance that would allow large data centers in industrial areas under special land use permits.

A draft of the legislation generally requires data centers be built at least 500 feet from homes, county parks or trails and a half-mile from high-capacity public transit stops.

The Atlanta area has emerged in recent years as one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the world. It ended June as the second-largest behind only Northern Virginia, according to data from real estate services firm CBRE.

Data centers are effectively gigantic warehouses that store computer servers to power artificial intelligence and other technology. They need copious amounts of electricity to stay online, and many use millions of gallons of water per day to keep those servers from overheating.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

The industry’s rush into Georgia has sparked controversy, both statewide and locally.

State lawmakers have considered revamping incentives designed to recruit data centers, while utility regulators and environmental watchdogs have criticized their power needs. Several communities have issued moratoriums to pause new data centers amid local opposition from concerned neighbors.

The data center industry and its lobbyists repeatedly say they want to be good neighbors, touting how these multibillion-dollar projects can create huge windfalls of local tax revenue. They also deny claims that proximity to data centers could have adverse health impacts like some other large industrial projects.

At Wednesday’s town hall in DeKalb, Public Service Commissioner-elect Peter Hubbard said tax breaks are the reason behind the surge of data centers in Georgia.

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

“So when you build a $100 million data center, you don’t pay any sales and use tax,” he said. “Nothing’s going into the state coffers. The other big reason they’ve been coming here is that they’re getting a sweetheart deal on the power.”

Hubbard is one of two Democrats elected to the PSC in November, flipping two Republican-held seats in an election that became a referendum on utility bills, with Democrats alleging the GOP members were rubber stamps for Georgia Power.

DeKalb residents also voiced concern about the impact new data centers could have on their property values and warned the vast amounts of water the facilities need could further strain DeKalb’s shaky infrastructure.

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

“We have infrastructure here in this county that needs to be repaired,” said 80-year-old DeKalb resident Robert Dobbs. “Water running, pipes busting. We really catch it down here.”

Faye Coffield, of Stonecrest, said the county’s proposed 500-foot buffer between homes and data centers is not enough. She also was skeptical of the argument that data centers could provide the county with needed revenue.

“For decades, we have heard about tax money coming and there’s going to be an improvement,” Coffield said. “I have been a homeowner in south DeKalb for 46 years, and all I have seen is decline in everything in south DeKalb.”

Staff writer Zachary Hansen contributed to this article.