Google is putting $1 million behind a South Georgia wetlands project as scrutiny grows over whether Big Tech’s data center boom is straining Georgia’s power grid, water systems and taxpayers.
The money, part of a $17 million national water commitment, will go to Ducks Unlimited to restore 35 acres of wetlands in the Flint River Wildlife Management Area, WABE reported. Google’s own announcement listed the Georgia project as part of a broader water stewardship push tied to data centers.
Google says it has committed more than $3 billion to Georgia since building its Douglas County data center in 2003. But the timing of the announcement is hard to separate from the backlash surrounding massive server farms that power artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
That backlash has already hit Georgia. State regulators recently approved a 50% increase in Georgia Power’s capacity after the utility argued it needed more electricity to meet demand from data centers. The Associated Press reported 80% of the 10,000 megawatts of new capacity is expected to flow to data centers.
The tax fight has been just as heated. Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed a 2024 bill that would have paused a sales tax exemption for building and equipping data centers for two years, preserving a benefit critics said deserved more review.
Water concerns are rising. Fayette County officials found a Quality Technology Services data center had consumed more than 29 million gallons of water after a metering issue, Fortune reported, fueling public skepticism even when companies promise conservation measures.
The wetlands grant gives Google a ready-made response to those concerns. It gives Georgia voters and lawmakers a sharper question: whether tech companies are doing enough to offset the public costs of the infrastructure they demand.
