EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Effingham County’s OpenAI data center could eventually use enough electricity to power more than 2 million American homes or a major city, raising questions about how the county’s power grid could support such a large project. At 3,200 megawatts of power, or 3.2 gigawatts, Project Camellia will be among the largest data center projects in the United States. But it is just one piece of Georgia’s data center boom. The state now has one of the highest concentrations of data centers in the country. To meet their staggering energy demands, Georgia is rapidly expanding its power grid, including transmission and natural gas projects in Effingham County. One of those projects will be the focus of a public hearing Friday on the proposed expansion of Georgia Power’s Plant McIntosh in Rincon. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division released a draft air permit in July for two additional combined-cycle units at the plant. EPD will hold a public hearing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday virtually through Zoom. The hearing will give residents an opportunity to comment on the proposed air permit. Jennifer Whitfield, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said communities should have a greater voice in decisions involving large-scale energy infrastructure. “We are transforming our system really rapidly,” Whitfield said. “This has the potential for real harm for communities. That can be air pollution … the cumulative impact of water withdrawals ……
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