Bulloch County Data Center Committee Meeting November 2, 5:30 p.m.

The Bulloch County Data Center Committee, operating under the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners, met November 2, 2026, to organize its review of data-center impacts and develop recommendations for the county. The committee discussed a public information-submission channel and approved a motion to hold a public open house before finalizing its recommendations. It reviewed preliminary comparisons of proposed data-center projects and discussed power and water demand, transmission infrastructure, noise, environmental effects, and decommissioning. Figures shared—including an estimated $58 million in annual property-tax generation for a proposed Effingham County project and a $500 million regional water-treatment plant—were described as uncertain or requiring verification; no spending allocation, contract award, or purchasing decision was made.

Members emphasized that future recommendations should address enforceable developer obligations, including who pays for power-grid upgrades, adequate financial security if a developer defaults or dissolves, facility and equipment decommissioning, and electronic-waste disposal. The committee approved a recommendation asking the county commissioners to extend the data-center moratorium for 180 days beginning January 1. Its proposed key-criteria document was tabled for revision and will return at a future meeting; the committee also identified James Pope’s site-selection presentation and discussions with utility providers and subject-matter experts as upcoming work.