By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton Co-Founder & President

Effingham County residents were startled last month with news a $20B OpenAI data center project was approved by their local officials without public notice or any opportunity to comment. A story in Sunday's edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recaps the events that led to the July 22 surprise announcement, with the goal of answering Effingham County residents who wondered "How is it that we didn’t hear a peep about this until it was already done?”

We want to answer the logical next question for our neighbors here in Newton County:  "Could it happen here?"  The answer is "thankfully not," but it could have turned out differently.
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As AJC reporter  Adam Van Brimmer explains it, 2024 updates to Effingham County's zoning ordinances allowed the OpenAI project to be approved by county officials without public notice.  "A push to modernize the county’s zoning ordinance resulted in data centers already being a permitted use a year before OpenAI first made contact," he writes. "A key element in addressing the antiquated zoning laws was the creation of a permitted use table. This tool established what could be built where 'by right' — meaning without significant review. The initial version was added to the zoning law in late 2024; the tables of uses ran for 10 pages. Data centers were on the list but drew little attention."

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton Co-Founder & President

Recent local events have conspired to keep us talking about data centers -- which remain a pressing issue for our community. But from a slightly broader perspective today, I'm must raise a different hot topic today:  Our world is on fire.

Connecting the dots from climate change to raging wildfires, endless waves of deadly extreme heat, violent tornado outbreaks, and devastating flash floods feels like stating the obvious. But if it was obvious, we wouldn't be in the hellscape we find ourselves in now.

August is still days away, but this brutal year has already made our deepening climate crisis impossible to ignore. Unprecedented May heat baked Europe before summer even arrived and was soon surpassed by an even more oppressive, extended heat dome in late June that's estimated to have killed ~14,000 people. In mid-July, a similar weather system scorched the American West and Central Plains, with highs of 115° F in parts of Montana.  This week, as I write, an intense heat dome is parked over the central US, producing heat indices well over 100°F from northern Minnesota down the Mississippi Gulf Coast and westward all the way to California and Nevada. Highs in the Southwest are expected to reach 120°F this week.  Meanwhile, the year's fourth extreme heat event is building in Europe.

A World on Fire

The combined effects of prolonged extreme heat and drought have made kindling of much Europe, the Western US, and Canada -- breeding conditions for the massive wildfires burn now out of control.  As one forestry expert in Spain told a Bloomberg reporter:  "These are fires that burn with the intensity of several atomic bombs and, as such, putting them out is extremely complex."  It’s a familiar pattern even to residents of South Georgia and North Florida who endured evacuations and property losses when wildfires scorched tens of thousands of acres this spring, also brought on by heatwaves and exceptional drought.

​Fingerprints of climate change are all over the European wildfires, and also blazes burning across North America.  When smoke from Canadian fires filled US skies, President Trump sought to blame Canadian officials and even threatened to implement punitive tariffs.  Which led climate scientist Zeke Hausfather to write a post for Carbon Brief proving the climate change connection and refuting arguments the blazes are primarily a result of forest mismanagement.  "The surge in Canadian burning tracks temperature with striking consistency, and hotter, drier fire seasons burn far more forest (+80% per 1C)," he wrote.  "The biggest fire years are almost universally hotter and drier, over 90% of the record 2023 burn was remote lightning fire, and the attribution studies tie these extremes to a warmer atmosphere without needing to invoke forest management at all."
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Watch this senior expert with the European Forest Institute show frustration when asked if fires raging now in France and Spain are "unprecedented"?  (Short answer: Not anymore.) For him -- and more than 99% of all climate scientists --  the links between human-caused climate change and extreme weather such as wildfires are undeniable.

I testified Wednesday, on behalf of Sustainable Newton, in a virtual public hearing hosted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where I opposed rules changes EPA is considering that would effectively eliminate public notice and comment requirements in most air pollution permit proceedings.

The regulations EPA seeks to revise have been in effect under the federal Clean Air Act since 1973.  They require states to provide public notice and at least a 30-day comment period on pre-construction permits for new and modified stationary air pollution sources.  In Georgia, that process is managed by the state Environmental Protection Division (EPD).  Federally mandated  notifications from EPD are why Sustainable Newton and our partners at the Southern Environmental Law Center (SECL) and Altamaha Riverkeeper were made aware last November of applications for air permits filed by a Houston-based energy company, VoltaGrid, seeking to construct a methane-fired pop-up power plant to serve electricity for a data center on Hazelbrand Road being built by Serverfarm.  As allowed by law, we commented on the application in December and submitted comments again in March, raising issues with the draft permit EPD published for comment.

In June, Sustainable Newton, SELC, and Altamaha Riverkeeper sent aerial photographs and other evidence to EPD, alerting them to unpermitted emissions sources being constructed by VoltaGrid and Serverfarm -- in direct violation of state and federal law. EPD agreed, sending notices of violation to both companies and ordering VoltaGrid to stop work on "air pollution emissions sources and/or control equipment."  We've also since petitioned the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to determine if VoltaGrid's electricity sales to Serverfarm are even legal in Georgia.

As I stressed in my testimony on Wednesday:

"None of this would have happened had Sustainable Newton and our partners not been notified through the New Source Review process presently required for minor sources. Nonprofits like ours rely on a transparent review process giving local communities an opportunity to hold polluters accountable.  Without that, people suffer."

When we last posted on June 29, Sustainable Newton had joined the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and Altamaha Riverkeeper to file a complaint with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on June 25, alerting them to apparently unpermitted construction activity at the Hazelbrand Road site where Houston-based energy company VoltaGrid is building a methane-fired power plant to provide electricity to Serverfarm data center next door. 

On July 2, following their investigation, EPD issued a separate Notice of Violation letter to each company.  The letter to VoltaGrid included an order that "the Company must stop all remaining construction of air pollution emissions sources and/or control equipment until such time that an air quality permit is issued for the construction and operation of the Facility."  Serverfarm was allowed to continue work because EPD issued a permit for their 37 diesel backup generators on June 29.  However, both Serverfarm and VoltaGrid are required to respond with additional information with in 15 days and were told in the letter that "the Company is not relieved in any way from liability for civil penalties pursuant to Section 23 of the Georgia Air Quality Act by submitting the requested information."

Today, in a separate-but-related matter, Sustainable Newton and SELC petitioned the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) asking them to determine whether to investigate VoltaGrid's stated plans to generate and sell electricity to the Serverfarm data center to decide if they violate the Georgia Territorial Electric Service Act and the Georgia Cogeneration and Distributed Generation Act.

By Maurice Carter, Co-Founder & Current President

"Regardless of how you feel about AI itself, or the way that it's being rolled out, one thing is inescapable," says the narrator of a new PBS documentary. "Despite tech companies making promises about renewable energy and sustainable technology, much of this massive AI expansion is still being powered by fossil fuels."

We know. Because -- as we reported back in December -- a data center developer (Serverfarm) and an energy company (VoltaGrid) are partnering to install and operate 33 fossil gas-fired engines to power a data center on Hazelbrand Road in Covington. If you live here, this PBS Digital Studios Overview documentary We Saw What AI Data Centers Don't Want You to See is essential viewing.  In this episode, investigative reporter Evan Simon uses a drone fitted with a thermal imaging camera to expose the air pollution emanating from the Stargate Data Center in Abilene, TX.

I wrote a piece on Monday arguing that EVs are the best hedge against rising prices at the gas pump -- during the current US/Iran conflict or in any future global energy disruption.  And, as a result, that Georgia lawmakers could do more to lower ongoing costs for Georgia drivers if they put their resources into helping them transition to #DriveElectric, rather than resorting to the Band-Aid solution of suspending the state's $0.33 gasoline tax.

If you're open-minded about that suggestion, it might help if I share numbers to back up my assertion.  (Remember, we're not factoring in the environmental reasons for driving an EV, nor will we get into why we think you'll love driving electric once you try it. That's all in the videos we created to share our EV experiences.)  We're only talking here about economic advantages.

When Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation Friday to suspend Georgia's $0.33/gallon gasoline tax for 60 days, it was "Deja Vu all over again," as Yogi Berra would say.  Or as Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young sang before many of you were born, "We have all been her before.  We have all been here before."  (Yeah, I'm old, but so what!?  Google it.)

Friday marked the fourth time Kemp has paused the tax at the pumps during his time as governor.  The previous three were the 2022 Russian attack on Ukraine, the 2023 inflation spike, and the devastation from Hurricane Helene in 2024.  In each instance, as prices for gasoline skyrocketed, the legislature and the governor stepped in to try and ease the pain at the pump.

Addressing his fellow senators on Friday regarding the suspension, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, said “Hopefully this (conflict) will be resolved. But, in the meantime, we’re going to do what we can to help our citizens of Georgia have the lowest costs possible.”  Sen. Nikki Merritt, D-Grayson, said “It’s a win for our constituents and will hopefully give them much-needed relief.”  But is this relief?  Or just a Band-Aid with political upside, but no real cure for what ails us?

By Sara Peach, Yale Climate Connections

Don't be a victim.  These transportation choices allow you to live more freely & affordably.

This article was originally published on March 10, 2026, by Yale Climate Connections.  We're republishing it here to highlight the ways in which the work of our Sustainable Newton Transportation Committee supports not only cleaner, more affordable transportation choices, but also a lifestyle less dependent on oil and gas, without as much  vulnerability to price volatility and disruption to supplies.

Data centers are a hot mess!  Whether you're a big supporter or the most ardent opponent, you don't need me to tell you that.  There's every reason to want to slow things down, so it makes sense for the City of Covington and Newton County to put moratoriums in place, as they did recently.  But it's critical we use these timeouts to better understand the issues and the not-so-obvious solutions to some of the most vexing problems these massive facilities pose.

Concerns over soil and water impacts, noise and light pollution, heavy water use, electricity consumption, and air pollution, have communities across Georgia and the Southeast pushing back on data centers in their area.  Meanwhile, in the Georgia General Assembly, lawmakers are proposing a variety of bills meant to put guardrails around data center projects to protect Georgia taxpayers and ratepayers.

The concerns are many, but I am going to delve specifically here into issues around electricity demand:  including risk to ratepayers, grid reliability, and air quality concerns.  There are some emerging ideas we should be following.

Surprisingly, the federal website for the United States Environmental Protection Agency still says "The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment."  (My apologies if reading that caused you to spew coffee, a soft drink, or something stronger through your nose.  If we couldn't laugh, we would cry.)  But, after over a year of bad news, things got much worse last week for anyone not spending their days in the boardroom of a major oil company.

On February 12, President Trump and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the Trump administration was officially rescinding the 2009 "Endangerment Finding," which had given US  agencies authority for over 16 years to regulate six greenhouse gases (including CO2) as harmful pollutants that endanger American health and wellbeing.  This action removes the legal basis by which the EPA has regulated fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions standards.  It also paves the way for repealing rules that restrict pollution from power plants and oil and gas operations.

In announcing the change, President Trump claimed "this has nothing to do with public health," adding "This was all a scam, a giant scam."  Neither of those statements could be farther from the truth.

Today, Sustainable Newton joined the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and other environmental non-profits to file a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia challenging two-year renewable exemptions the Trump administration issued in July to allow 40 commercial sterilizer facilities nationwide, including nine in Georgia, to bypass stricter ethylene oxide (EtO) regulations implemented in 2024.

EtO is a cancer-causing chemical classified as a hazardous air pollutant under the Clean Air Act. The stricter standards being bypassed were implemented by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after extensive scientific studies found EtO to be 60-times more toxic that previously thought. The 2024 rule has been shown to reduce EtO emissions by more than 90% and to reduce cancer risk by 92%.  Read more about EtO and reasons for filing the complaint on the SELC website.
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For Sustainable Newton, joining this lawsuit was an easy decision, given our history of working to encourage transparency, safety monitoring, and a science-based approach to public health. Through our Environmental Hazards Committee, we have made a commitment to do all we can to protect our Newton County community from harm through advocacy and education. As an organization, Sustainable Newton is "working to build a world where people and planet are as important as profit and future generations matter." Challenging this presidential exemption is a vital to that cause.

Hi! My name is Sherryn Lo, currently a freshman at Oxford College of Emory University. I’m an Oxford Service Leader, helping Sustainable Newton out wherever support is needed. I got to learn about the organization and its different committees, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to see how much thought and care go into making Newton County a more sustainable place to live. I wanted to use this post to share a little about who I am, where I’m from, and why sustainability matters to me!

I grew up in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a coastal city that feels alive all the time, from early morning to late at night. Going around the city, you can see tree-lined streets run alongside busy roads, and it’s normal to see parks, public bikes, night markets, and apartment buildings all sharing the same space. The weather is very warm most of the year, so people spend a lot of time outside. We love walking, eating, talking, and just being around each other. The city is very lively; neighborhoods feel close, and daily life happens in public and shared spaces. Growing up there made me used to paying attention to my surroundings and the people around me, because everything, such as nature, city life, and community, all exist side by side.

This time of year, thoughts turn naturally to what to make of the new year ahead.  But perhaps I'm not the only one still struggling with what to make of the year just passed?  Has it really even passed?

It's been a tough 12 months for those of us committed to forging concern about the climate crisis into productive climate action.  It's not that we aren't making progress -- the trend lines and momentum on the clean energy transition are extremely positive.  But across the climate movement, we've been buffeted and battered by political headwinds emanating from Washington, DC, making every ounce of progress hard-earned.

Yet, I have faith the market advantages of clean energy (faster & cheaper than fossil fuels) and electric vehicles (beloved by their owners) will prevail.  Where our future feels less certain and our anxiety most intense is locally -- where a proliferation of data center projects stand poised to erase much of the progress our state and local community have made on improving air quality, reducing climate pollution, conserving water, and controlling growth.  The energy, water, and land demands of explosive AI data center growth are one of the biggest issues of our time, and we can't simply turn the page to a clean start.  Indeed, we've spent the closing days of 2025 joining other concerned organizations to inject some reasonableness into data center plans, while our Environmental Hazards Committee is working to surface all of the potential projects and assess the community risks of each.

All of this has me thinking not about new resolutions for 2026, but instead about an old resolution adopted -- but never fully operationalized -- by the Covington City Council for Earth Day in April of 2020.  First a little background, and then I'll explain the connection to our current data center crossroads in Covington and Newton County...