A dispute over a proposed Georgia data centre moratorium has divided Senator Raphael Warnock and Governor Brian Kemp, with the Democrat demanding a statewide pause on new projects and the Republican insisting that approval decisions should remain with local communities. The clash comes as residents across the state question the effect of large facilities on power supplies, water use, pollution and development. ([fox5atlanta.com](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/warnock-kemp-clash-over-georgia-data-center-boom))
Warnock renewed his call after visiting Effingham County, where OpenAI has proposed a major data centre known as Project Camellia. The plan covers 1,400 acres and is expected to require 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, according to the senator’s office. ([warnock.senate.gov](https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-visits-future-openai-data-center-site-calls-for-statewide-moratorium/))
Warnock calls for Georgia data centre moratorium
Speaking after meeting residents and members of the Protect Effingham Alliance, Warnock said communities were being left without enough information or influence before projects were advanced.
“Simply put, I’m alarmed,” he said.
The senator argued that data centres could push up electricity and water bills and increase pollution, while decisions were sometimes made without adequate public scrutiny.
“They raise the price of electricity, the price of water. They create pollution and too often it is all done under the cloak of darkness,” Warnock said. ([fox5atlanta.com](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/warnock-kemp-clash-over-georgia-data-center-boom))
Under his proposal, a pause could be lifted for individual developments only if they met conditions including no increase in household utility bills, no undisclosed agreements, greater transparency and safeguards against air, water, noise and light pollution. ([warnock.senate.gov](https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-visits-future-openai-data-center-site-calls-for-statewide-moratorium/))
The proposed Effingham County facility was announced by OpenAI in July and has been described by Warnock’s office as a $20 billion project. Its anticipated power demand would be equivalent to supplying about 2.3 million homes, according to the senator’s statement. ([warnock.senate.gov](https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-visits-future-openai-data-center-site-calls-for-statewide-moratorium/))
Kemp rejects statewide pause
Kemp has rejected a statewide moratorium, describing the idea as “insane”. He said some communities wanted the investment, jobs and tax revenue associated with data centres, while others did not.
“It’s the locals that are making these decisions and they should be able to do that,” the governor said. “Some communities don’t want these data centres, but there are some that do.” ([fox5atlanta.com](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/warnock-kemp-clash-over-georgia-data-center-boom))
His position reflects a broader argument that local authorities should decide whether individual developments fit their infrastructure and economic plans. In June, DeKalb County commissioners extended a moratorium on new data centre applications by 100 days while they considered possible rules for the industry. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/dekalb-county-extends-data-center-moratorium-through-september/))
The DeKalb pause was extended through the end of September, with residents citing concerns about water, infrastructure and the long-term effects of large-scale development linked to artificial intelligence and cloud computing. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/dekalb-county-extends-data-center-moratorium-through-september/))
President Donald Trump has also backed the industry, calling data centres a “golden goose” and warning that communities which rejected them risked becoming “backwards and poor”. ([fox5atlanta.com](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/warnock-kemp-clash-over-georgia-data-center-boom))
Data centres enter Georgia governor’s race
The disagreement is also becoming an issue in Georgia’s 2026 gubernatorial election. Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms has called for a pause while more evidence is gathered, saying the state does not yet have enough facts to make an informed decision.
Republican nominee Rick Jackson has opposed a statewide halt and said communities should retain the power to decide whether to accept data centre projects and their potential local tax benefits. ([cmg-cmg-rd-20021-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com](https://cmg-cmg-rd-20021-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/news/local/georgia-gubernatorial-candidates-outline-differing-views-data-centers/NHIKZ2AGLRERLFPT6FFLB34KBM/))
The political divide follows a legislative session in which several measures intended to curb data centre growth failed to pass. Georgia has used tax incentives to attract the industry, while opposition has grown in areas facing proposals for facilities with substantial electricity and water requirements. ([fox5atlanta.com](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/warnock-kemp-clash-over-georgia-data-center-boom))
