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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 county’s recent library guidelines and appointments as divisive and tied that controversy to larger concerns about transparency. Alan White asked the board to “institute a moratorium and allow for true independent experts to comprehensively evaluate this project,” saying other Georgia counties have paused or tightened reviews of data centers.
Susan Warren described utility and regulatory issues that intersect with data-center planning and county decision-making, noting that state Public Service Commission decisions influence power pricing and availability. Warren told the board Georgia Power requested a large increase in generation capacity and that residents could be left responsible for stranded costs if demand projections do not materialize.
The county read a prepared statement on behalf of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. The statement said allegations of “secret backroom deals and violations of [the] Open Meetings Act are inflammatory without merit” and asserted that nondisclosure agreements “are standard practice in economic development negotiations nationwide.” It said the Columbia County Development Authority had secured financing “to position the land for development” but that “no construction has begun and key elements including identification of a final end user are not finalized.” The statement also said environmental and infrastructure concerns are being addressed through assessments and buffers and that the county would provide updates.
Why it matters: Concerned residents cited potential impacts on local water supplies, the electric grid and the character of Appling, the county seat. County officials said they are conducting assessments and that reversing approved zoning at this stage could expose taxpayers to litigation from developers.
Speakers noted actions elsewhere: Clayton County enacted a moratorium in September, DeKalb County extended a pause through Dec. 16, Coweta County tightened oversight and state agencies have at times delayed DRI reviews over resource concerns. Alan White cited those examples in urging Columbia County to pause for independent study.
The meeting did not include a formal vote to halt the project. Commissioners and county staff said updates will be provided through public resources and upcoming meetings; the county’s statement invited residents to consult a project web page and future briefings.
Ending: Public comment on the project continued after the statement, and several speakers asked the commission to release more information and permit outside experts to review environmental and infrastructure impacts before any construction begins.
