Altamaha Riverkeeper

For now, Sams said, the only real check on data center development in the basin is local government. “The only thing that’s really standing in the way of these things being built and becoming operational is the city councils and the county commissions,” he said.

Read more at: https://www.macon.com/news/environment/article314935084.html =cpy

30 data centers plan to use water from Ocmulgee River. What’s the impact on supply? Many facilities have tapped into city water systems through municipal water permits, avoiding the industrial withdrawal review required for direct river users.

A proposed ATV park in Long County is facing opposition from environmental groups and neighbors who say the location could cause environmental damage and safety concerns.

Maggie Van Cantfort of the Altamaha Coastkeeper said the proposed location raises concerns about wetland protection.

“Jones Creek runs through the property, then you have residential property, waste water facility, cemetery and school zone,” Van Cantfort said.

Van Cantfort said her organization wants to know if other locations in the county have been considered.

Long County ATV park proposal draws environmental concerns from neighbors A proposed ATV park in Long County is facing opposition from environmental groups and neighbors who say the location could cause environmental damage and safety concerns.

The lack of information is a problem for environmental advocates like Fletcher Sams, executive director of the Altamaha Riverkeeper.

“Here’s what I don’t know: I don’t know how many megawatts it is. I also don’t know the cooling technology that they will use to cool the chips,” he said. “Those things are very important for me to know because I’ve got 24 other data centers projected to come into that basin. Between now and 2060, that region is also going to see approximately 740,000 new residents.”

Massive Burt Jones-backed project among wave of data centers proposed for Georgia • Georgia Recorder A massive data center project backed by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and his family could be coming to Butts County, but many of the project’s details are still unknown.

Not enough water to go around?

While that would free up a great deal of water for usage in other facilities, Sams fears Plant Scherer won’t be able to retire on schedule — because the influx of data centers is pushing up the demand for energy in Georgia. If the retirement timeline for Plant Scherer is extended, that assumed surplus won’t be available, Sams says. “Every DRI that was done in the Middle and Upper Ocmulgee with the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Middle Georgia Regional Commission are basing their information on the Middle Ocmulgee Regional Water Plan,” Sams said. “That water plan assumes that we’re going to have 72 million gallons a day in water savings when Scherer retires.”

“(These) data centers are not going to allow that retirement.”

Read more at: https://www.macon.com/news/local/article312370717.html =cpy

Middle Georgia data center boom raises a big question: Is there enough water? As data centers multiply in Georgia, the Altamaha Riverkeeper warns the state may be overestimating future water supplies.