Jackie Malcom lives less than a quarter mile from where a 2 million square foot data center project was going to be built in Ellenwood, Georgia, a majority-Black community in DeKalb County. Malcom, 62, opposed the project because she and her neighbors are already dealing with poor air quality as pollution from surrounding industry, including […]
data centers
Posted inCity Politics, Environmental Justice, Politics & Policy
After Residents Push Back, Atlanta Delays Vote on Southwest Data Center
Months after southwest Atlanta neighborhoods voted against proposed legislation that would put a data center by the West End MARTA station, the Atlanta City Council has tabled the ordinance. During a July 13 Zoning Committee meeting, City Council members voted to hold the legislation, which would alter an existing city ordinance that bans data centers […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Technology
DeKalb Rejects Data Center Regulations, Leaving Future Expansion Uncertain
After nearly a year of contention and outcry from residents, DeKalb County officials voted down legislation last month that sought to regulate data center development in the county. While some count it as a victory in the fight to stop data centers, others believe the county is now in a vulnerable position. At a June […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy
Atlanta’s Data Center Surge Meets Resistance in Southwest Communities
Hundreds of residents throughout southwest Atlanta turned out in droves Monday night at the Georgia State University Convocation Center to debate a data center development being planned for their community. The project, which would be built near the West End MARTA station, has led to divisiveness amongst new and legacy residents in the southwest neighborhoods […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
The Data Center Atlanta Thought Was Dead Is Back on the Table
A data center proposal that was previously shot down has resurfaced in southwest Atlanta along with the debate over land use, equity, and who benefits from development in historically disinvested communities. The project, planned for a site near the West End MARTA station and bordering communities like Adair Park, Pittsburgh, and Mechanicsville, has been hotly […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Local Politics, Politics & Policy
Organize, Educate, Win: How Atlanta Residents Are Blocking Data Centers
From DeKalb County to Southwest Atlanta in Fulton County, residents are organizing against the rapid expansion of data centers. Some Atlantans are fighting back and logging small and major wins to protect their communities from what they say are the harmful impacts of the data center boom here in metro Atlanta. “We’ve really been pretty […]
Posted inNews
Homelessness, Police Shooting, Data Centers: Top 10 Atlanta Stories of 2025
From City Hall to Magic City, Capital B Atlanta reporters covered breaking news, secured exclusive interviews with newsmakers, unearthed painful history, and published groundbreaking enterprise stories that resonated online and on social media. Here are our top 10 stories of the year. Georgia is quietly working on building the largest ICE facility in the country, […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
Georgia Power Expansion for Data Centers Greenlit, Sparking Outrage
State regulators gave Georgia Power permission on Friday to massively expand its power plant facilities across the state. The decision came despite vocal opposition from environmental justice groups, who argue the project — aimed at ensuring future data center owners have the energy they need to operate — could cause people’s energy bills to rise […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services, State Politics
Georgia Power’s $16 Billion Data Center Push Could Mean Higher Costs for Residents
A Georgia Power proposal that would allow one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in state history crossed a major regulatory hurdle on Wednesday. The Public Service Commission’s Public Interest Advocacy Staff division approved a Georgia Power stipulation agreement that would greenlight construction of enough new power plant facilities to generate an additional 10,000 megawatts […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
South DeKalb Residents Protest Data Center Plan, Delay Vote
A vote on new data center regulations in DeKalb County has been postponed to Dec.16 after a heated zoning meeting Thursday where residents shouted grievances, demanded answers, and some were removed from the chamber. The deferral underscores the growing frustration of South DeKalb communities — particularly Black neighborhoods like Ellenwood, where a large-scale data center […]
