Commissioners grant 12‑month extension for Project Peach power agreement and extend data‑center moratorium

The board voted on Oct. 21 to give the applicant for Project Peach (previously rezoned in April 2025) additional time to secure required utility documentation tied to rezoning condition 23.

Staff briefed commissioners that the applicant received a letter from Georgia Power in April and a draft power contract on Oct. 16, 2025. Brad Howe, representing CyrusOne regarding utility negotiations, said Georgia Power provided a draft contract and that regulatory approvals and finalization could take up to 120 days; the applicant asked the board for a six‑month extension but commissioners discussed precedent and the proper monitoring timeline and ultimately approved a 12‑month extension by vote (4–1).

Separately, the board approved a resolution extending the limited moratorium on new data‑center applications to ensure the county’s draft data‑center ordinance and public hearing schedule are in place; staff recommended a day certain so the extension would align with the ordinance process. The moratorium extension was set to run until the earlier of ordinance adoption or Dec. 4, 2025.

Board members and public commenters raised concerns about transparency and whether redacted utility contracts meet the condition; staff said Georgia Power may provide redacted documents and that the intent of condition 23 was to verify that power service could be provided to the site. Staff also proposed scheduling a follow‑up public hearing (contingent on the applicant meeting the extended deadline) if the applicant still had not satisfied the condition.

What happens next: The applicant has the extended period to finalize the power agreement with Georgia Power, subject to regulatory approvals; staff will return the matter to the board if the condition is not satisfied within the calendar set by the board.