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PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WSAV) — Dozens of residents spoke out at a Port Wentworth City Council meeting on Thursday, opposing the idea of data centers. The residents asked the council to wait before making a decision; however, the council voted in favor of the ordinance.

This meeting comes after the Port Wenworth Commissioners voted against an ordinance for data centers. A data center is a connection of buildings that are part of a single development, which is primarily used for digital data operations.

Every resident who spoke up during the meeting opposed the zoning ordinance plan.

“The city was overrun with industrial development warehouses everywhere,” a resident said. “Truck traffic everywhere and residents being told that this is the price of economic development. Now we’re being told the same thing again, that data centers are good for us. The new ordinance language will protect us from the inevitable. That argument is like a dog that won’t hunt.”

Port Wentworth City Manager Steve Davis shared a presentation going over the zoning ordinance. He highlighted key requirements a potential data center will have to follow if it were to be built in the county.

The presentation included how they would use water and electricity, the requirement to do a noise study, the requirement for the center to be built 500 feet away from residents and more.

A majority of residents asked the city council to hold the vote and not make a rushed decision.

“Like we’re being rushed,” a resident said. “I don’t know what the rush is. Why are we pushing this through? You can ban it now, right? Then we can come revisit the ordinance and do all the things that we can reinstate it later, if that’s what we’re truly going to do.”

Council Member Artlise Alston-Cone also suggested the council to wait before making a vote and wait till a meeting early next year. She was the only council member to speak out at the meeting opposing the plan.

“We need to make a decision based on what they want, not what we want,” Alston-Cone said.

The City Council voted in favor of an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance to define and set rules for data centers. Alston-Cone was the only council member present who voted against.

City council did state that this is not the approval of a data center, but rather the approval of rules and regulations if one is built.

The vote followed hours of public comment, with many residents opposing the amendment and urging leaders to slow the process.

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. —

Port Wentworth City Council voted Thursday to approve a zoning ordinance amendment that could allow data centers in the city, despite calls from dozens of residents to delay the decision.

The vote followed hours of public comment, much of it focused on how quickly the proposal moved forward, its potential impact on local utilities and whether the ordinance includes sufficient safeguards if a project is proposed.

Data centers are facilities filled with computer servers that store and process information for services such as streaming, banking, online shopping and artificial intelligence. Because they operate around the clock, they can require significant amounts of electricity and other resources.

City leaders opened the discussion with a presentation outlining the purpose of the amendment. The city explained the change is intended to put protective measures in place and does not approve a data center.

They said the ordinance change was meant to define a data center and provide rules that could be enforced if a company were to propose one.

City Manager Steve Davis conducted the presentation, addressing prior resident concerns, including environmental impacts and utility strains.

“There should be no impact whatsoever from the water resources to the general public,” Davis said.

Several residents raised concerns about the proposal, with some opposing the ordinance outright and others calling for more time, clearer information and stronger protections before it moved forward.

“It seems to be going really fast, which makes me uncomfortable — like some conversations are happening without the public knowing,” attendee Lindsey Donovan said.

Davis also addressed what he described as the “risk of waiting.” One presentation slide stated that if “a data center request is brought forth, without this amendment, the city and its residents would have no means of enforcing protective measures.”

Council member Artlise Alston-Cone urged the council to slow the process and revisit the proposal.

“The way we have our ordinance written is not sufficient,” Alston-Cone said.

The ordinance passed over Alston-Cone’s objections. As the meeting concluded, some residents expressed frustration with the council’s decision.

City officials reiterated that the zoning amendment does not approve a specific data center project and that additional reviews and approvals would be required before any facility could move forward.

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PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. — The Port Wentworth City Council voted Thursday to pass an amendment defining data centers and establishing rules for their size, location and number within city limits, despite vocal opposition from residents.

The proposed amendment puts more rules and procedures for data centers in place before plans could be accepted. It also mandates that data centers be at least 500 feet away from residential areas.

City Manager Steve Davis said the city made changes to the amendment following an earlier planning and zoning meeting, saying the city had taken citizens’ concerns to heart.

“The staff took those comments in, we talked with some of the council members, and made some modification,” Davis said.

Residents voice concerns

Residents raised concerns about water use, noise disruption, traffic and taxes, saying all would increase with the adoption of the rezoning.

“No one comes up and says, ‘yes! I want it, its a great idea… why,’” one resident said.

Another resident criticized the process, saying, “Listening does not mean hearing concerns and rushing to amend policies behind closed doors.”

A third resident questioned the financial benefits, saying, “Without the proper factual information on how much revenue it will generate for Port Wentworth, its all skeptical.”

City defends decision

The city said it has done its homework, with intentions to increase the buffer and limit options to avoid residential areas, increase property tax expectations, and saying the center will have next to zero water impact.

Even with the changes, residents remained opposed to the amendment.

“I appreciate the power point, I learned some stuff from there that I didn’t know before but I still haven’t changed my mind,” one resident said.

Another asked the council to “pause on, do not vote on a rewritten language tonight, bring it back to proper channels, so that the public and community have a real chance to engage.”

The city ultimately chose to vote for the amendment, saying it will give them more control on what data centers can and cannot do if they choose to settle in Port Wentworth.

The city said it is not currently in contract with any specific data centers but that data corporations are looking at places across Chatham and Effingham County.

Concerns about data center growth are emerging across the state, including in Port Wentworth, where city leaders are considering zoning changes that could allow such facilities.

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. —

Georgia Power is asking state regulators to approve what it calls one of the largest electricity expansions in Georgia history, citing surging demand from data centers that run around the clock to support streaming, banking, online shopping and artificial intelligence.

The Georgia Public Service Commission is scheduled to vote Dec. 19 on whether to allow the utility to spend about $15 billion over the next six years to increase electric system capacity by roughly 50%.

Georgia Power says the proposal would help meet “unprecedented growth” while keeping power affordable. The company says large energy users would pay higher rates under the plan, which it argues would reduce the average residential bill by about $102 a year after new base rates are set in 2028.

Data centers house computer servers that store and process online information and typically require significant electricity and constant cooling to prevent equipment from overheating. Goldman Sachs Research has forecast that global power demand from data centers will rise 165% from 2023 to 2030.

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Critics, however, say customers could be left carrying long-term costs and risks, especially if the plan leads to additional fossil fuel infrastructure.

“The real question at hand is who benefits from the growth — and who bears the cost of the growth,” said Alicia Johnson, the Democratic commissioner-elect for the PSC. Johnson will not take office until after the vote. She said the proposal warrants closer scrutiny to ensure Georgians are not “saddled” with higher bills and added risk.

Johnson also warned that building more fossil fuel assets could lock customers into paying for them for decades, limiting flexibility and future clean energy options.

Concerns about data center growth are also emerging in Port Wentworth, where city leaders are considering zoning changes that could allow such facilities.

“They use a lot of the resources that are available and put an incredible strain on the electrical infrastructure,” said resident Ginny Hines, who also raised environmental concerns because of the city’s proximity to the Savannah River.

“We need to have the problems that already exist to be addressed prior to bringing in even more burdens on the infrastructure,” Hines said.

Republican PSC members Tim Echols and Chairman Jason Shaw declined interview requests, citing restrictions on commenting ahead of the commission’s vote.

The PSC’s decision could shape Georgia’s energy system for decades.