ICYMI: Warnock Calls for Data Center Moratorium After Visiting OpenAI Site, Meeting with Effingham County Neighbors

Last week, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock called for a statewide moratorium on all data center construction that can only be lifted for specific projects that adopt comprehensive safeguards around utility costs, transparency, and pollution Senator Warnock met with residents in Effingham County to discuss the impact of OpenAI’s proposed data center on their community Guyton, GA – Last week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) called for a statewide moratorium on all data center construction after visiting the proposed site of OpenAI’s new 3.2-gigawatt data center in Effingham County. Ahead of this announcement, the Senator met with several residents who raised serious concerns about the impact of OpenAI’s massive data center on their community, specifically higher utility costs and more water, light and noise pollution. Under Senator Warnock’s proposal, the moratorium can be lifted for a specific project only if: There are no water or electric bill increases because of the data center There are no sweetheart tax giveaways to data center developers There are no NDAs The data center will not cause air and water pollution There is no ambiguity around noise and light pollution “The lack of transparency here in Effingham County and in counties across our state and across the country is unacceptable, and that’s why today I’m calling for a moratorium on data centers,” said Senator Warnock. Earlier this year, Senator Warnock sent a letter calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to provide local communities with tools, resources, best practices, and protections as they negotiate with multi-billion-dollar data center corporations. Specifically, this letter focused on concerns about data centers straining community water supplies, especially while Georgia experiences a historic drought. More coverage of Senator Reverend Warnock’s call for a statewide data center moratorium below: WSAV : U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock is calling for a statewide moratorium on data center construction after meeting with Effingham County residents Friday who raised concerns about OpenAI’s proposed Project Camellia. WTOC : Sen. Raphael Warnock called for a moratorium on data centers Friday during a visit to Effingham County, saying OpenAI’s data center project moved forward without input from the community. WJCL : Effingham County residents met with U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Friday to express concerns about the proposed Camellia Data Center, which would be located near their homes. WSB-TV : A U.S. senator representing Georgia is calling for a state moratorium on data center construction, starting with one of the largest in the nation in southeast Georgia’s Effingham County. Atlanta Journal-Constitution : U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock had sharp words for Effingham County officials and OpenAI, which recently announced a $20 billion data center there, calling for a moratorium on similar projects in Georgia unless big tech companies and developers can promise specific economic and environmental protections for residents. CBS Atlanta : U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has called for a statewide moratorium on data centers in Georgia unless safeguards for the community are put in place. WABE : U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is calling for a statewide moratorium on data centers after visiting the site where OpenAI plans to build a massive data center in coastal Georgia. The Current : U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock on Friday called for a moratorium on data center construction in Georgia, describing the secrecy surrounding plans to build a $20 billion data center in Effingham County “unacceptable.” Effingham Herald : U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., came home to coastal Georgia Friday to visit the proposed site of OpenAI’s $20 billion Project Camellia in Effingham County — and called for a moratorium on data center development until residents have a meaningful voice in whether such projects are built in their communities. Savannah Morning News : U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock is calling for a statewide moratorium on data centers. The announcement came Friday morning during a press conference at Zion Lutheran Church in Guyton, where Warnock met with residents and stakeholders regarding the planned data center in Rincon. He also laid out the only reasons the moratorium should be lifted if implemented. Columbus Ledger-Enquirer : Friday, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) pushed for a moratorium on data centers in a video on Instagram after visiting the construction site for OpenAI’s Project Camellia. The Post-Searchlight : Speaking at the site of a planned OpenAI data center in Effingham County, Sen. Raphael Warnock called for a statewide moratorium on data centers Friday. WRBL : U.S. Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) met with community stakeholders and media on Friday to discuss concerns related to a planned data center near Savannah. ###