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Residents call for moratorium on proposed White Oak data center; county defends negotiations and public process
Summary
Speakers at the Oct. 21 Columbia County meeting urged a moratorium and independent study of the White Oak Technology Park data center proposal; the county released a statement saying negotiations comply with law, that NDAs are standard and no construction has begun.
Columbia County — Residents urged the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 21 to halt or pause the proposed White Oak Technology Park data center, citing concerns about water use, power demand, local character and transparency. County officials responded with a written statement defending the process and saying the project remains in a planning phase.
Howard Johnson, a resident who said he is running for the District 2 seat, warned voters about infrastructure and social effects he associates with data centers. “The data center is gonna **** up up to 6,000,000 gallons of water a day. We're looking at a gigawatt of power,” Johnson said, adding his opposition to the project and describing concerns about artificial intelligence and social-media infrastructure supported by the facilities.
Several other residents also urged action. Diane Jarrett described the…
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