Data centers become new flashpoint for local controversy in Georgia

This Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation documents growing community opposition to data center development across Georgia, from Atlanta's Howell Station neighborhood to rural communities like Barrow County, LaGrange, and Coweta County. Residents and local officials have pushed back against proposed projects through zoning fights, packed public meetings, and formal objections, citing concerns about neighborhood character, farmland loss, and the balance of costs versus benefits. The article reports that at least $64 billion in data center projects have been blocked or delayed nationwide, and examines how federal AI policy and state-level inaction have left local governments as the primary battleground for data center siting decisions.