As data centers require more energy, questions loom about who foots bill

AI-assisted summary

Georgia Power has proposed its first major data center contract of the year to the state Public Service Commission.

Data centers are projected to account for 80% of Georgia Power's new energy demand by 2031.

While Georgian's utility bills have already risen, people disagree on whether the surge in data centers will further burden ratepayers.

As data centers drain water and energy across the country , Georgians have fought hard against them this summer—or at least, have tried to slow them down. In July alone, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs halted statewide reviews of data centers, Dekalb County imposed a 100-day moratorium on new applications, and Monroe County denied a zoning change for a 900-acre data center campus.

But these wins are short-li