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Albany utility board delays decision on proposed data‑center power partnership
Summary
The Albany Utility Board heard a presentation on joining a MEAG/Chris County data‑center power partnership and voted to delay a decision for two weeks while staff and ECG provide a financial analysis and options on subscription levels and revenue splits.
The Albany Utility Board on Aug. 14 heard a presentation on a proposed data‑center power partnership and voted to postpone a decision for two weeks so staff can provide additional financial analysis and negotiation guidance.
Mr. Jacobs, who introduced the opportunity, said statewide demand from data centers is large — “there have been some opportunity here in the state of Georgia … from last, about 7,000 megawatts of potential data center service,” and that MEAG is targeting roughly 1,200 megawatts of capacity to serve some of that load. Jacobs said a nearby site in “Chris County” has been rezoned for data‑center development and that the developer expects an initial 80‑megawatt phase; Chris County would commit 30 megawatts and seeks other municipal participants to subscribe to the remaining capacity, with revenue splitting shown in the presentation at roughly 50/50 for participating cities.
Board members raised questions about the length and flexibility of contract terms, the fairness of the proposed 50/50 split, and the city’s current excess capacity. One member said they were “kinda nervous because … 10 year talking about a 10 year” commitment without full information, and another asked what the city would pay and what it would receive under different subscription levels. Staff noted Albany currently reports about 18 megawatts of excess capacity and that 5 megawatts are already committed under a five‑year agreement (Robertsdale/Robertsville item mentioned in the presentation).
After discussion, Mr. Jacobs moved to continue negotiations and to have staff and ECG provide a scenario analysis of different subscription levels and the likely revenues and costs; a second was recorded and the motion carried. The board instructed staff to return with detailed pricing and impact scenarios within two weeks.
Next steps: staff will work with ECG and city finance to model revenue, cost and contract-term options and report back at the next board meeting.
