Atlanta Councilmember Kelsea Bond Introduces Ordinance Establishing a Task Force To Examine Effects of Data Center Expansion
Monday, August 3, 2026
ATLANTA– Today, Atlanta Councilmember Kelsea Bond (they/them) introduced an ordinance to establish a City of Atlanta Data Task Force to examine best practices for the development, placement, and regulation of data centers.
The proposed ordinance comes in response to the rapid expansion of energy-intensive, “hyperscale” data centers across Georgia. Over the past several years, the number of proposed and operating facilities has grown from only a handful to roughly 75 statewide, driving unprecedented demand for energy resources and positioning Georgia to become the second largest data center market in North America. Much of data center development is fueled by the world’s largest Big Tech corporations, private equity, and military and policing equity industries, routinely with little transparency or oversight by municipalities.
As data center development continues to accelerate, Atlanta residents have raised growing concerns about impacts on air quality, drinking water resources, public health, neighborhood equity, and rising electricity and water costs. Residents have also expressed concern that increased usage of AI-powered surveillance technologies used by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the federal agencies such as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.). These concerns are particularly significant in Atlanta, which is currently considered one of the most surveilled cities in the world.
Councilmember Kelsea Bond at a Data Center Community Town Hall
“As this technology rapidly develops, it’s essential that government decision-makers thoroughly understand the impacts of data center expansion,” Councilmember Kelsea Bond explains, “Atlanta residents have raised serious concerns regarding air and noise pollution, increasing utility costs, and health impacts. Our local government should be making zoning and land use decisions that benefit regular working Atlantans — not out-of-state multi-billion-dollar big tech companies.”
In January, State Senator Ruwa Romman introduced HB 1012 to place a temporary moratorium on future data center projects until 2027. The proposed moratorium would have provided the state with an opportunity to evaluate the full impact and development of data center facilities.
State Senator Ruwa Romman explains, “This is the cross-partisan issue of this moment. The lack of transparency, permanent destruction of our communities, and long-term health issues of these data centers make it necessary for Georgians to know where their elected officials stand on this. I’m grateful to Councilmember Kelsea Bond’s leadership in showing where the Atlanta City Council stands on this issue and for doing what the Republican legislature failed to do to protect Georgians.”
The Atlanta City Council task force will examine the effects of new data centers on electric grid capacity, water supply, noise, the City’s ad valorem tax digest, and ratepayer cost, and make written recommendations to the Mayor and the Atlanta City Council.
