As discussion continues about the possibility of data center development in Jeff Davis County, residents are hearing arguments on both sides. Supporters point to the potential for significant tax revenue, economic investment and improvements to electrical infrastructure. Others have raised concerns about water consumption, electricity demand, noise, environmental impacts and whether the long-term benefits would outweigh the costs.
For many citizens, however, the issue may not be as simple as being for or against data centers. The more important question right now may be: Do we have enough information to make an informed decision?
Georgia Power has released information addressing several common concerns surrounding data centers in Georgia. The utility says modern data centers can bring substantial investment and tax revenue while safeguards are in place to protect other electric customers. But those statewide statements also provide a roadmap for the questions Jeff Davis County should be asking if a specific project comes before local officials.
So, what does Georgia Power Say? Data centers are large facilities filled with computer equipment used to store, process and manage digital information. They support many of the services people use every day, including online banking, streaming, apps, telehealth and artificial intelligence. They also require substantial amounts of electricity. According to Georgia Power, large energy users such as data centers are required to help cover the costs associated with serving them. The utility says large customers can be required to pay upfront for infrastructure, commit to long-term contracts and meet minimum payment and financial security requirements.
Georgia Power maintains that these protections are intended to prevent the costs of serving large-load customers from being passed along to residential customers and small businesses. The company also says data centers can provide communities with significant tax revenue, construction employment and ongoing jobs in areas such as security, maintenance and other services.
Those potential benefits deserve consideration.
But so do the details.
Water: Don’t Ask Whether Data Centers Use Too Much — Ask About This One
Water has become one of the most frequently discussed concerns surrounding data centers. Georgia Power says water usage varies greatly depending on the design of the facility and notes that newer facilities increasingly use more water-efficient cooling technology, including closed-loop systems. That distinction is important.
Rather than debating whether data centers as a whole use too much water, local officials should determine exactly what a proposed Jeff Davis County facility would require.
How much water would it use on an average day? What would its maximum usage be during Georgia’s hottest months? Would it use municipal water, groundwater or another source? What cooling technology would be installed? Would the system recycle water?
And perhaps most importantly: Would existing residents, businesses and future development still have an adequate water supply?
Those answers should come before approval — not afterward.
Electricity and Infrastructure
The same principle applies to electricity. Data centers can consume enormous amounts of power. Georgia Power says large customers help pay for the infrastructure necessary to serve them and that grid improvements associated with large developments can strengthen the overall electrical system.
If a project is proposed locally, commissioners and citizens should ask exactly what infrastructure would be required. Would a new substation be necessary? Would new transmission lines be constructed? Where would they go? Who pays for them? Would any expense ultimately fall on local taxpayers or existing utility customers? Officials should also understand what happens if a proposed project never reaches completion or if a facility closes years later.
What About Noise?
Georgia Power describes data centers as relatively quiet industrial facilities but acknowledges that backup generators can produce significant noise. Again, the specifics matter.
How many generators would a Jeff Davis County facility require? How frequently would they be tested? How close would the facility be to homes? What would the expected noise level be at the property line and at the nearest residence? Those are questions that can be answered before zoning or development decisions are finalized.
Perhaps the Biggest Question: What’s It Worth to Jeff Davis County?
Economic development is ultimately about numbers. A project worth hundreds of millions — or potentially billions — of dollars can significantly expand a community’s tax base. But the headline investment number does not necessarily tell citizens how much money will actually reach their local governments and schools.
Before approving a project, officials should know the projected taxable value of the development and exactly how much annual revenue would be generated for Jeff Davis County, Jeff Davis County Schools and, when applicable, the City of Hazlehurst.
Officials should also determine whether tax abatements, exemptions or other incentives are being requested and how those agreements would affect the amount actually collected locally.
Employment deserves the same scrutiny. How many jobs would be created during construction? How many would remain once construction is complete? What would those permanent positions pay? Would local workers have opportunities to fill them?
Questions Worth Asking
If Jeff Davis County is presented with a data center proposal, some of the most important questions for commissioners — and citizens — include:
- How large is the total investment, and what portion will actually be taxable locally?
- How much new revenue would the county, school system and city receive each year?
- What tax exemptions, abatements or incentives are being requested?
- How many permanent jobs will be created, and what will they pay?
- How much water will the facility use at average and peak demand, and where will that water come from?
- What cooling system will be used?
- How much electricity will the facility require?
- What substations, transmission lines, roads, water or sewer improvements will be necessary — and who pays for them?
- How close will the facility, cooling equipment and backup generators be to existing homes?
- What measurable noise limits will apply?
- What environmental studies will be required?
- What happens if the developer begins the project but doesn’t complete it?
- What happens if the facility closes or the company leaves years from now?
- What protections can be written into zoning conditions, development agreements or other legally enforceable documents before approval?
Information Before Position
There are legitimate reasons for Jeff Davis County residents to be interested in data center development. There are also legitimate questions that deserve answers. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
A major development could potentially provide substantial new revenue to a rural county and its school system. It could also create infrastructure demands and long-term commitments that need to be understood before decisions are made. The goal should not be to accept every promise made by a developer — nor should it be to reject an opportunity simply because questions exist.
The goal should be to ask the questions now, while Jeff Davis County still has the ability to negotiate the answers.
Hazlehurst Now will continue researching data centers and looking at communities where these facilities are already operating as the local discussion continues.
