COMMUNITY
Georgia Has Become the Hottest Data Center State in the Nation
BRAD CARVER Hall Booth Smith Government Affairs
CHUCK STONE Hall Booth Smith Government Affairs
Georgia has become the hottest data center market in the country. The question for our State’ s policymakers, and, in particular, the Georgia Public Service Commission, is how can Georgia continue to develop and remain among the most competitive markets in the country while also safeguarding existing businesses and residential customers in the State at the same time. These projects are coming here because Georgia offers what the industry needs: land, fiber connectivity, access to power, a strong business climate, lower taxes and less regulation and economic developmentfriendly communities looking to grow their tax base. In contrast, companies have been fleeing high-cost states like California, New York and Illinois and relocating to Georgia and other Southeastern States in particular. Atlanta’ s role as the business and technology hub of the Southeast gives us a natural advantage, and the rise of cloud computing and artificial intelligence has only increased demand for the kind of digital infrastructure Georgia can support. Finally, Georgia’ s“ all energy resource” strategy including significant deployment of renewables and battery storage has
contributed significantly to Georgia being labeled the # 1 State for economic development generally, and for data centers in particular.
There are real benefits with these substantial investments. A major data center campus can add significant value to our tax base, helping fund schools, roads, public safety, and other basic services. For counties trying to attract investment without adding the significant infrastructure costs that come with large residential growth, data centers warrant serious consideration. These projects can also bring temporary construction jobs, long-term high-paying technical jobs, and broader economic activity around the site but not to the scale of a major manufacturing facility. And, the boost to the local tax base is like nothing we have ever seen. In fact, some local governments can eliminate their property taxes entirely by offsetting current tax payers’ bills with enormous personal property tax expenditures by data centers which have unprecedented capital investment dollars.
24 MAY / JUNE 2026