Thread by @MorePerfectUS

The South has quickly emerged as a battleground between big tech and working people.

Companies are pouring billions into data centers, but Southerners are fighting to block them.

The outcomes could greatly affect residents’ economic security and the region’s water supply. 🧵

$200 billion worth of data center projects are being built in the South, according to a new report from @MediaJustice.

To keep up with the massive amounts of energy these centers consume, projects like gas pipelines and coal plants are also growing.

mediajustice.org/wp-content/upl…

@mediajustice The data centers, however, would likely exacerbate many of the issues that residents who live in the region are already facing.

Data centers often increase electricity costs for residents, and they also consume large amounts of water.

substack.perfectunion.us/p/how-data-cen…

In South Carolina, it’s projected that data centers will account for 65 to 70% of the state’s new energy usage.

While residents pay more, the companies score reduced rates.

Google was given an electricity rate that amounts to less than half of what South Carolina residents pay.

scdailygazette.com/2024/09/26/goo…

@mediajustice These centers could also catastrophic impact water supply, especially in areas prone to drought.

In Georgia, one center could consume 9 million gallons a day in Coweta County. That’s one-third of the entire county’s daily water allotment.

wabe.org/data-centers-u…

@mediajustice But some communities are fighting back and seeing results.

Between May 2024 and March 2025, $64 billion of data center projects have been blocked or delayed because of local opposition — including in Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina.

datacenterwatch.org/report

In Bessemer, Alabama, a group of residents stood up to a proposed $14.5 billion project amid outrage over the center’s projected impacts and lack of transparency.

More Perfect Union has documented local efforts in places like Tucson, where residents organized to block an Amazon-backed center.

In Virginia, county-level voters removed all of the town council members who backed a proposed Amazon data center in the cities of Goodyear and Buckeye.

Their new city council voted against the project and have taken harder stances against them in zoning laws.
datacenterwatch.org/report

@mediajustice For a deeper look at how Southerners are mobilizing to protect their communities, check out the following report from @MediaJustice:

mediajustice.org/wp-content/upl…