Athenians are calling for an extended moratorium on data centers in Athens-Clarke County.
During the February 17th Mayor and Commission agenda setting session, the conversation of data centers in Athens continued.
During last night's meeting, Athenians expressed the desire for another pause before an official vote on the city’s data center policies. In December, the mayor and commission adopted a moratorium on data centers through March 6th.
One resident, Denise Horton, wants to see more research on data centers proposed. She said, “I want to encourage the continuation of the moratorium … I would love there to be more work on capturing the amount of energy that is used by the centers…"
Several community members were concerned that data centers would put a financial burden on neighbors due to the project's potential energy consumption.
District 9 Commissioner Ovita Thornton also emphasized the need for another moratorium, saying that she did not want to see another situation like the Voyles Road data center, which was able to be established without the mayor and commission's oversight.
