Atlanta eyes new rules for data centers amid community concerns
Atlanta council members propose data center rules
Atlanta Councilman Antonio Lewis introduced bills to end tax breaks and limit water usage for data centers. City leaders say the facilities consume massive resources while paying minimal local taxes.
ATLANTA - Atlanta leaders are considering strict new regulations and the elimination of tax incentives for data centers following widespread community complaints over environmental impacts.
Atlanta data center regulations
What we know:
Atlanta City Council members Antonio Lewis and Wayne Martin are leading a new effort at City Hall to regulate data centers across the city.
Lewis introduced two bills, supported by Martin, at Monday's meeting that focus on capping water usage, protecting local environmental resources, and eliminating property tax breaks for data center developments.
"We just need to have an honest conversation. I saw a poll last night that 70% of Americans oppose data centers," Martin said. "I hear folks loudly and clearly, but I want them to understand that when you are sitting down, and when you are watching streaming services, and when you are using ChatGPT, and when you are emailing, and when you are storing files of the 9,000 pictures of your grandchildren, that is being stored at a data center.
Data centers require significant amounts of water to manage intense system heat, functioning much like a car radiator.
Lewis criticized current practices, noting that data centers have been permitted to tap into local water systems and consume extensive water supplies when far less was necessary.
Community concerns and tax breaks
The backstory:
Data center developments are expanding rapidly across the nation, prompting several cities to pause projects or pass temporary moratoriums.
Atlanta residents have voiced major complaints regarding high noise levels, community disruption, and the immense power and water these facilities consume while creating very few permanent jobs.
Lewis pointed out that multimillion-dollar and billion-dollar data centers receive massive local tax breaks, sometimes paying as little as $500,000 in taxes.
"I want to see the tax breaks and tax incentives because I come from the community where the least lost and left out lived," he said. "When we see these buildings come up, when we see them cost $500 million and $1 billion, and then we see them only pay $500,000 in taxes… That math don't math."
Dig deeper:
Data centers have become an increasingly contentious issue across metro Atlanta as communities weigh economic development against concerns about infrastructure demands and potential effects on nearby residents.
PREVIOUS: Georgia data center boom brings billions — and growing backlash
The facilities can require significant amounts of electricity, while water consumption varies depending on the cooling systems used. Critics have also raised concerns about noise, land use, environmental effects and the long-term demands placed on local infrastructure.
Several metro Atlanta governments have already temporarily halted approvals for new data centers as officials review their regulations.
What are data centers and why do they exist | Explainer
DeKalb County has paused new data center approvals through September, according to the report. Rockdale County also has a temporary moratorium, while Paulding County commissioners unanimously approved a moratorium lasting until January.
The Atlanta proposal would create a formal group to examine those concerns and determine how the city should approach potential future data center development.
OTHER RECENT STORIES
- Marietta council votes 5-2 for new data center
- Hampton data center construction: Historic Black cemetery concerns raised
- Coweta County residents fight 255-acre data center
- Data center controversy continues in Georgia
- Paulding County approves data center moratorium
- Bartow County data center plan sparks fierce dispute
Tech demands and economic balance
The other side:
City leaders emphasized that they want to protect residents and resources without turning Atlanta into an "anti-data center" city. Everyday technologies like artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, streaming services, and online file storage rely entirely on continuous data center processing.
Critical community operations, including E-911 dispatch, hospital systems, banking networks, and local universities, also depend on robust data infrastructure.
Mayor's task force review
What we don't know:
City officials have not announced a final vote date for Councilman Lewis's proposed legislation.
What's next:
City leaders fully support the Mayor's Task Force on Data Centers, which is currently reviewing these infrastructure and environmental questions to help shape future city policy.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Atlanta City Council members Antonio Lewis and Wayne Martin, official council legislative proposals, details provided by the Mayor's Task Force on Data Centers and previous FOX 5 reports.