(ATLANTA, GA) — Atlanta residents doubled down on how they feel about data centers Monday, telling the City Council that the centers could raise utility costs, strain existing neighborhoods and take land away from housing and locally owned businesses.
The comments came as the council considers changes to a 2024 ordinance that prohibits new data centers within a half-mile of MARTA stations. Several residents said the concerns that prompted the restrictions in the first place have not changed.
Photo Credit: YouTube / Channel 26
Dan Phillips, a resident of the city’s 12th District, questioned why the council would reconsider restrictions it approved two years ago. He read excerpts of the city’s 2024 ordinance, which said Atlanta’s data center market was growing faster than any other in the country and that the centers would provide limited economic benefits because they typically create fewer local jobs than other industries.
"My question is: what, if any, of those things has changed in the past two years?" Phillips said.
Stephanie Linfields, a Cascade Road resident, told the council that she was concerned about the environmental impact of data centers, including their power use, heat generation, water consumption, and noise.
"We don't yet know all of the long-term impacts of these data centers, but what we do know concerns me. Our community should not be put at risk or used as guinea pigs for these data centers in a way that will continue to affect generations to come," Linfields said.
Photo Credit: YouTube / Channel 26
Linfields also said residents and neighborhood planning units should have more of a say in decisions about where data centers are built. She questioned whether companies would be held accountable for commitments made to surrounding communities.
Michelle Al Allen, a West End resident, said she supports redevelopment in her neighborhood but wants the city to balance economic growth with affordable housing and opportunities for local businesses.
Photo Credit: YouTube / Channel 26
"I'm concerned that new data centers will take up space that could otherwise be used for affordable housing or for locally owned businesses that would employ many more people and create places that residents actually want to visit," Allen said.
Allen also urged council members to consider the broader impact of data center growth across Georgia, including concerns about rising utility costs.
“I realize this council only has authority over data centers within the City of Atlanta, but I hope you'll keep those broader impacts in mind when faced with the decision to approve or deny a new data center,” she said.
The council ended up approving a resolution to create a Data Center Task Force to examine national and global approaches to regulating data centers and make recommendations to the mayor and the city council.
The task force will be required to hold at least six public meetings and two public hearings, with an initial report due within 90 days of its first meeting and a final report due within 150 days.
To add to or correct information in this report, please contact me at mia.s@lead4earth.org.
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