Data centers are flocking to Georgia, and with them, protests from residents concerned about the projects’ use of energy and water. Advocates in Athens-Clarke County have packed public meetings in recent weeks, determined to have a say in local legislation aimed at regulating data centers. Their demands have centered on public transparency and the use of renewable energy.
Laura Iyer is the Founder and Chair of the Southern Sustainability Institute, a local environmental nonprofit. Olivia Asher is a member of the statewide science education organization Science for Georgia. She is also a PhD student at the University of Georgia studying bioinformatics. Both have appeared at public meetings advocating for local data center regulation.
Iyer and Asher sat down with WUGA’s Emma Auer to break down a series of recently introduced ordinance amendments related to data centers and whether they feel their demands have been met.
