More on data centers! Amy Sharma was recently invited to speak before the Georgia General Assembly’s House Special Committee on Resource Management. This committee was formed to understand the impact of new, non-traditional, manufacturing and industry such as data centers. These unprecedented developments at hyper-scale that take up enormous amounts of power and water. We are incentivizing them in traditional ways, but that do not return value in traditional ways. Georgia needs to analyze and understand how they can be good neighbors and provide a positive impact on Georgian’s livelihoods, education, and health.
Below – find testimony from Jennette Gayer, Executive Director of Environment Georgia (starting at minute 24) and Amy Sharma (starting at min 38:30).
And enjoy the AI generated summary of Amy’s talk.
AI Generated Summary of the Talk
In this talk, Amy Sharma, Executive Director of Science for Georgia, provides a candid and informative overview of the growing data center footprint in Georgia. She begins by expressing appreciation for the state’s attention to the issue and explains her background as a former chip designer and data analytics professional, which gives her a personal stake in the topic. Sharma underscores that while data centers are critical to powering AI, small business innovation, and modern digital life, they are very different from traditional economic drivers. Unlike manufacturing plants that bring hundreds of jobs, data centers offer minimal local employment—often fewer jobs than a fast-food restaurant—raising questions about the appropriateness of major tax incentives.
Sharma explains that Georgia has become a prime location for data centers due to its low-cost land, abundant water, and robust broadband infrastructure. However, this has led to unintended consequences: excessive consumption of land, electricity, and water without significant return in the form of jobs or tax revenue. Using industry benchmarks, her team estimates that existing and announced data centers in Georgia may soon require three times the power of Plant Vogtle and consume water equivalent to that used by half a million people. Despite these impacts, there is a lack of transparency—no tracking of how many centers exist, where they’re located, or how much they’re consuming. Meanwhile, tax incentives for these facilities are generating negative returns for the state.
Despite painting a stark picture, Sharma closes with optimism. She emphasizes that data centers can be good neighbors if held accountable. She urges lawmakers to require transparent reporting, require infrastructure investments (like battery backup for the grid and gray water systems for non-drinking-water needs), and implement clawback clauses for abandoned projects. By demanding community benefits—such as curriculum support or sustainable farming projects—local governments can reclaim leverage. Ultimately, Sharma frames this as a pivotal moment for Georgia to shift from being exploited by large tech players to becoming a model for responsible digital infrastructure growth.