$2 billion data center project gets approval in Twiggs County despite oppositions

The proposal to rezone nearly 300 acres of timberland in Twiggs County for a data center passed Thursday evening after the county’s Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project, with conditions.

The proposal had both support and opposition from residents, with one side arguing the county needs this development to grow and prosper while the opposing side, much larger in numbers, felt there was not enough information and analysis, independent from the developer, to make an informed decision.

“I see both points of view, both sides,” said board chairman Ken Fowler moments before the unanimous vote. “We took an oath to do what was the best thing for Twiggs County, and that oath includes the whole county. We raised our hand, that’s what we swore to do.”

The approved development, by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Eagle Rock Partners, is one of many data center projects coming to Georgia as demand grows for AI and rural areas often have an abundance of cheap land and struggling economies. The development will include up to nine buildings, three substations and two retention ponds, according to county documents.

Questions raised about the review process

Opponents say Twiggs County should have gone through the Development of Regional Impact process, which reviews large projects for effects on traffic, utilities and the environment beyond local borders. The state Department of Community Affairs paused DRI reviews for data centers amid a flood of proposals, forcing the department to review its process, though it later said data centers still remain subject to the process, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

“(Voting yes) was not the right thing to do,” said Nancy Lubeck, whose home is just 1.8 miles from the project site. “They should’ve waited for the DRI process, because no independent studies were done for anything – not for noise impact, not for water impact… and we are so concerned about our wells.”

However, the county attorney said the project has followed all state-required processes and regulations.

Ken Loeber, founding partner with Eagle Rock Partners, said the data center will use a closed-loop cooling system that requires almost no daily water beyond what’s needed for restrooms and drinking — about 12,000–16,000 gallons a day, or less than 0.1% of the Twiggs aquifer’s capacity. The site was chosen for its access to twin 230 kV power lines, and officials say the project won’t raise local power rates.

The data center will bring up to 600 jobs to the county and significantly boost Twiggs County’s tax base, noting they aren’t seeking tax breaks and expect the property to be worth about $2 billion once developed, according to Loeber.

A handful of attendees voiced that the economic gain is too good to turn down.

“It’s time for Twiggs to grow,” said Claudia Fitzpatrick, a resident of Twiggs for 57 years. “When this data center comes, its going to bring jobs, its going to bring people, it’s going to bring business — business that Twiggs County needs to survive.”

Opponents, however, argued that environmental impacts and strain on local resources outweigh any financial benefits.

Fletcher Sams, director of the Altamaha Riverkeeper, warned that multiple data centers planned upstream, including the Twiggs County project, would collectively withdraw millions of gallons of water daily, straining the Ocmulgee River during low-flow summer months while also requiring massive power generation that could keep Plant Scherer’s coal operations running longer.

“There are nine data centers upstream this location that will drop 4.65 million gallons a day from the basin,” Sams said. “These nine data centers require 3,406 megawatts, almost the entirety of the (available) capacity.”

Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma joins opposition

The opposition was joined and supported by The Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, whose ancestors lived in Middle Georgia for thousands of years before being forcibly displaced in the 1830s during the Trail of Tears. Members of the Muscogee Nation said the project could threaten archaeological sites tied to their tribal history and culture.

The corridor along the Ocmulgee River, which run through Twiggs County, contains mounds, villages and other important sites that experts and the Muscogee say are of national importance, according to Chris Watson campaign director with the National Parks Conservation Association.

The area is home to habitats and wildlife that are important to protect, according to Watson. Various groups and organizations — including Muscogee Nation and the NPCA — have worked for decades to preserve the mounds and the surrounding areas, and allowing a data center into Twiggs County could endanger those efforts.

The county attorney said the project has followed all state-required processes and regulations.

This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 11:58 PM.