Data center task force approved by Atlanta utilities committee
Atlanta utilities committee approves data center task force
Atlanta's utilities committee approved a proposal for a 23-member task force to study the potential impacts of data centers. The group would examine issues including electricity and water costs, water supply, noise, grid capacity and neighborhood impacts.
ATLANTA - Atlanta leaders are considering creating a task force to examine how the rapid growth of data centers could affect residents, utilities and neighborhoods.
What we know:
The Atlanta utilities committee approved a proposal for a 23-member task force that would study the potential effects of data centers and related facilities.
The task force would examine electricity and water costs, water supply, noise levels, electrical grid capacity and impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. It would also look at national and global best practices for data center development.
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.
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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.
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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.
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