Cities in Georgia and Alabama Approve Data Center Projects

Local governments in Georgia and Alabama have moved forward with data center developments despite significant community opposition and recent legislative attempts to curb such projects. In Marietta, Georgia, the City Council voted 5-2 to approve zoning for an 11-acre, 18-megawatt facility at 1155 Powers Ferry Place. Proposed by Prime Group Holdings, the project involves converting an existing building. The approval bypassed a recent six-month moratorium because the application was submitted before the restriction took effect.

Similarly, in Fairfield, Alabama, city leaders are proceeding with a colocation data center proposed by Patmos. The facility would occupy a former Walmart Supercenter, with a planned groundbreaking in September 2026. Like the Marietta project, this development is exempt from a local moratorium on new data centers because it was under consideration before the ban was passed.

Both projects faced heated public pushback. Marietta residents protested potential pollution of the Rottenwood Creek floodplain and rising utility costs, while Fairfield residents raised concerns about health risks and transparency. In Alabama, Patmos founder John Johnson defended the project, claiming the facility would be quieter than the previous retail store. While the Cobb Chamber of Commerce viewed the Marietta project as a way to future-proof the local economy, opponents in both cities argued that the facilities would fail to deliver promised jobs or would negatively impact home values.