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Utilities and Chamber offer assurances, economic estimates for proposed Beacon data center
Summary
County utilities told commissioners the proposed Beacon data center would use roughly 7,500 gallons of water per day and require only modest sewer upgrades paid by the developer; Alabama Power said large customers must pay infrastructure costs and would not shift charges to residential customers. The Mobile Chamber estimated more than $1 billion in long-term property-tax revenue and about 250 permanent jobs.
Commissioners heard technical briefings on the proposed Beacon data center and what it would mean for Mobile County’s utilities and tax base. Donnie Cunningham, executive director of South Alabama Utilities, said Beacon’s engineers estimated total water demand at full build-out of about 7,500 gallons per day and sewer flow around 6,000 gallons per day, roughly equivalent to a 50‑lot subdivision. "It will not have an effect on rates," Cunningham said, adding that the utility’s well capacity is about 1,700,000 gallons per day with roughly 20 percent spare capacity and that the developer would contribute to any necessary sewer upgrades.
Alabama Power’s Mobile division area manager Erin Delaport told the commission that data centers are large-load customers required to pay for their own infrastructure and that contracts and PSC review protect existing customers. "Data centers do not make your power bill go up," Delaport said, and added that Alabama Power will not enter an agreement until an engineering study confirms the company can serve the load reliably. Delaport also noted a company commitment to hold residential bills flat through 2028 and cited recent state-level protections written into law.
David Rogers of the Mobile Chamber presented a 20‑year tax analysis prepared with the Alabama Department of Revenue that, he said, shows more than $1 billion in property-tax revenue to Mobile County and a similar amount to the Mobile County public school system over the analysis period. Rogers said Beacon’s initial building investment was estimated at $6–8 billion and that internal server deployment could multiply in value over time; he added Beacon has committed to about 250 full‑time jobs paying above $115,000 annually. "Those are real dollars that are coming in to help schools, parks and public safety," Rogers said.
Commissioners emphasized that the county has limited zoning or permitting authority over industrial‑zoned projects and that any required rate or service protections are typically negotiated with utilities and reviewed by the Alabama Public Service Commission. The briefings were provided to respond to community questions about water, sewer and electric impacts and to clarify who bears the cost of infrastructure upgrades.
