The push for data centers in Georgia is a dangerous economic gamble that ignores the long-term damage to our communities. Contrary to the promises of an economic boom, data centers are not long-term job engines. Most of the employment they generate is temporary and rooted solely in construction, with very few permanent, local jobs created once the facility is operational and automated. Furthermore, these facilities are not built in remote locations; we are seeing them proposed directly between residential developments. In rural areas, the strategy is predatory: companies purchase land abutting city limits and then seek annexation to access city utilities. This allows them to drain essential resources without paying the fair share of taxes or fees required to support that infrastructure. These facilities act as parasites on the city's resources, consuming vast amounts of water and electricity. While Development of Regional Impact (DRI) laws are intended to regulate large-scale projects, they are currently insufficient to stop the unchecked expansion.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this boom is the total lack of transparency regarding water usage. Tech companies claim that their cooling systems and water consumption are trade secrets, making it impossible for local governments to know how much water they are actually draining from the community. This secrecy is dangerous. In LaGrange, for example, the Project Pegasus data center has no disclosure for its final energy or water needs, with estimates suggesting it could consume between 100,000 and 2 million gallons of water per day. In Columbus and across Georgia, data center development feels like the "wild west," with very few guardrails to prevent these massive corporations from exploiting local resources without accountability.

The environmental and economic costs extend to the depreciation of the technology itself. The servers, chips, and other computing components housed in these buildings are destined to become electronic waste in just a few years. With global recycling systems unable to keep up with this glut of trash, we are looking at a massive environmental liability that will burden future generations, not to mention the strain on power grids and rising utility bills for local residents who are told these tax breaks are necessary for growth.