A citizen activist from Fayette County asked state lawmakers Thursday to carefully consider the effects a wave of data centers is having on local communities.

Diana Dietz, a retired public health nurse, told members of a state House subcommittee "giant industrial poles" associated with a massive data center under construction in the county southwest of Atlanta are removing trees from what used to be scenic residential areas.

Project Excalibur, being built on a 615-acre site by global digital infrastructure leader QTS, is among a growing number of data centers springing up across Georgia primarily to serve the increasing demand for power artificial intelligence technology is placing on the nation's electrical grid.

"This is not anti-AI. This is not anti-data centers," Dietz said. "But yo

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