The towering smokestacks of Plant Scherer rise in the distance over Juliette, Georgia. This coal fired giant, once slated for earlier retirement, now runs harder to feed the exploding demand from artificial intelligence data centers across the state. What seems like effortless chatbots and image generators on our screens carries a heavy physical price in power plants, water use, and carbon emissions right here in Georgia.
Data Centers Flood Georgia For AI Growth
Georgia has become one of the hottest spots for data center construction in the nation. Low energy costs, available land, and business friendly policies drew major tech players to the Atlanta area and beyond. In 2024 and 2025 the metro region led the country in new data center space added.
These facilities run nonstop. They house thousands of servers that train and run AI models. A single large data center can pull as much electricity as a small city. Georgia Power, the state’s main utility, says data centers make up about 80 percent of its projected new electricity demand.
In December 2025 state regulators approved Georgia Power’s plan to add nearly 10 gigawatts of new power capacity. That is enough to supply roughly four million homes. The buildout carries a construction price tag over 15 billion dollars. Ratepayers could ultimately cover 50 to 60 billion dollars including financing and profits over the coming decades.
Coal Plants Like Scherer Get Extended Life
Plant Scherer stands as one of the largest coal fired power plants in the United States. Located in Juliette, it ranks historically among the top carbon dioxide emitters in the country. Plans to scale back its operations have shifted.
Georgia Power decided to keep Scherer and Plant Bowen operating longer than previously announced. Both plants will co fire natural gas with coal in coming years. This move directly ties to surging data center needs. The utility projects these facilities will stay active potentially into the late 2030s.
Bold This extension reverses earlier clean energy progress and keeps high emission sources online to support AI infrastructure.
Similar stories play out across the Southeast. Utilities cite AI and data centers as the main driver for delaying coal retirements and building new gas plants. Critics argue the demand forecasts may prove too high. One recent analysis suggested actual data center growth in the region could land between 2.2 and 8.7 gigawatts by 2031, lower than some utility predictions.
Here are key numbers behind the boom:
- Georgia Power plans 10 gigawatts of new capacity, with 80 percent tied to data centers
- Plant Scherer and Bowen together represent thousands of megawatts of coal capacity now extended
- Data centers already account for a significant share of state electricity growth
- Construction in metro Atlanta hit record levels in 2025 before slightly slowing
Heavy Toll On Water Resources And Emissions
AI systems need more than electricity. They generate intense heat that requires constant cooling. Most large data centers use evaporative cooling systems that consume millions of gallons of water.
In Newton County a Meta data center uses around 500,000 gallons of water per day. That equals about 10 percent of the entire county’s water supply. Some proposed new facilities in the area have requested up to six million gallons daily.
Residents near these sites report problems. Some homeowners on well water say their taps run dry or produce sediment filled water after data center construction nearby. While companies often point to studies showing no direct link, local concerns persist about strained aquifers and future shortages.
On the emissions side the picture stays concerning. Coal and gas power for these centers adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Plant Scherer has long ranked as a major polluter. Keeping it and similar plants active longer means more greenhouse gases at a time when climate goals call for reductions.
Data centers nationwide could consume far more electricity in coming years. Projections show they might reach significant portions of total U.S. power use. In Georgia the mix of available land and existing grid infrastructure made the state attractive, yet that same grid still leans heavily on fossil fuels.
Residents And Advocates Raise Concerns
Not everyone welcomes the rapid expansion. Several Georgia counties have passed moratoriums or stricter zoning rules for new data centers. Residents worry about higher electricity bills, water strain, and limited local job gains compared to the massive land and resource use.
Environmental groups and consumer advocates question whether regular ratepayers will subsidize tech giants. They call for more transparency in demand forecasts and stronger requirements for data centers to use renewable energy or improve efficiency.
Some lawmakers propose ending certain tax breaks for data centers or making them pay more toward grid upgrades. Others highlight economic benefits like construction jobs, tax revenue, and positioning Georgia as an AI leader.
Tech companies argue their facilities bring innovation and growth. They invest in efficiency improvements and sometimes renewable power purchases. Yet the immediate reality for many Georgians involves visible smokestacks and less visible but growing pressure on local resources.
The Path Forward Remains Unclear
Efficiency gains in AI hardware could reduce energy needs per task over time. New cooling technologies might cut water use. Renewables and nuclear expansions could clean up the power supply. But these changes take years while data center construction moves fast.
Georgia sits at the center of a national debate. How do we power the AI future without compromising clean air, water, and affordable electricity for families? The decisions made now in utility commission rooms and county halls will shape the state for decades.
The invisible cloud of artificial intelligence has very real roots in Georgia soil, rivers, and power lines. As students, professionals, and families rely more on these tools daily, the physical costs become harder to ignore. Finding the right balance between technological progress and environmental responsibility will test leaders and communities alike.
