Drawdown Georgia's free educational resource explains what data centers are, how they affect local communities, and what questions to ask as projects proliferate in Georgia
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESS Newswire / September 21, 2026 / As data center development accelerates across Georgia, Drawdown Georgia today released Data Centers in Georgia: What Should Communities Know and Ask?, a free toolkit designed to help residents, local officials, and community leaders understand data centers and engage knowledgeably in decisions happening in their own backyards.
Georgia's largest metro area is now home to more new data center construction than anywhere else in the country: in September 2026, real estate firm CBRE reported that the Atlanta metro area has overtaken Northern Virginia as the nation's top market for data centers under construction. In a May 2026 public filing, Georgia Power reported commitments from 31 large-load customers totaling 12,400 megawatts of demand through the mid-2030s. According to an analysis by Science for Georgia, that's enough electricity to power every home in the state, with enough left over to power another million homes elsewhere.
Data centers are now operating, under construction, or proposed in at least 51 of Georgia's 159 counties, according to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Local governments have taken notice: more than 80 Georgia cities and counties, roughly 36 cities and 46 counties, have passed moratoriums or adopted new ordinances addressing data center construction and operation, per Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's tracking as of September 2026.
That scale of growth means more Georgia communities than ever are facing questions about a proposed data center's water use, electricity demand, and environmental and economic impacts, often with limited time to get informed before a local vote.
"Georgia's data center boom is moving faster than most communities can keep up with, and every proposal carries its own mix of costs, benefits, and unanswered questions," said John A. Lanier, executive director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and a founding member of Drawdown Georgia. "This toolkit gives Georgians a clear road map to engage in the process and advocate for outcomes that work for their community."
Instead of taking a position for or against any project, the toolkit explains basic concepts in plain language, points to where communities can find reliable local data, and compiles the questions residents, journalists, and local officials should be asking developers, utilities, and public officials before major decisions get made.
"Metro Atlanta has more new data centers under construction than any other major market in North America, but megaprojects are popping up all over Georgia," said Maurice Carter, co-founder and president of Sustainable Newton, who advised on the toolkit's development. "The size and speed of the buildout can be disorienting, but the communities that successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities will be those who initiate proactive, collaborative conversations with all of the key stakeholders. This toolkit provides informatiion and resources citizens, local officials, and business leaders need to engage with confidence from the very first conversation about a potential new project."
The toolkit includes:
- A six-part video series featuring Georgia atmospheric scientist and Emmy Award-winning communicator Melissa Nord, breaking down what a data center is, how much electricity and water it uses, how it can support clean energy, and how communities can have a voice in the process
- An embedded, regularly updated map developed by Science for Georgia showing where data centers are operating, under construction, or proposed statewide
- Plain-language answers to common questions about energy, water, environmental impact, jobs, and economic impacts
- A full list of questions communities can ask developers and public officials at each stage of a project, from early announcement through permitting and beyond
- A directory of Georgia organizations and state agencies that can help communities with legal, planning, water, and economic questions
The toolkit was developed by Drawdown Georgia with content and data support from the Southern Environmental Law Center and Science for Georgia.
The full toolkit, video series, and downloadable resources are available at DrawdownGA.org/data-centers.
About Drawdown Georgia
Drawdown Georgia is a statewide research-based initiative launched in 2020 that was born from a multi-university collaboration, funded by the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Taking inspiration from Project Drawdown, the world's leading resource for taking action on climate change, Drawdown Georgia localized that work by identifying the 20 highest-impact solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our state over the next decade.
This framework focuses on climate solutions in five sectors: transportation, buildings & materials, food & agriculture, electricity, and land sinks. It considers how these solutions can reduce emissions and advance "beyond carbon" priorities, including equity, economic development, public health, and nurturing the larger environment.
Drawdown Georgia has grown into a "leader-full" movement, bringing together many organizations, universities, companies, leaders, and funders who are working to advance climate solutions in Georgia, including Drawdown Georgia Research, the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, Drawdown Georgia Congregations, and Drawdown Georgia Higher Education. Learn more at drawdownga.org.
Find more stories and multimedia from Ray C. Anderson Foundation at 3blmedia.com.
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Ray C. Anderson Foundation
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/ray-c-anderson-foundation
Email: info@3blmedia.com
SOURCE: Ray C. Anderson Foundation
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/new-toolkit-helps-georgia-communities-understand-and-engage-on-d-1224631
