Who Decides Georgia’s Data Center Future?
Georgia 2026/Data centersWho Decides Georgia’s Data Center Future?

Repsense/Georgia 2026/Data centers

Who Decides Georgia’s Data Center Future?

Online conversation: August 21 – October 13, 2026 · Report: October 30, 2026

Power bills, political battles and the online narratives shaping one of America’s fastest-growing data center markets.

1,944Posts analyzedpublic social posts on Georgia data centersAugust 21 – October 13
2 of 5PSC seats at stakeon the November 3 ballot, enough to flip control of the utility regulator
Under 4%Attention to the PSC raceof all interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. go to posts naming the four PSC candidates
About 1 in 2Oppositionof posts oppose a project or data centers.

Executive summary

Power, attention and blame do not line up

Data centers have emerged as a flashpoint in the 2026 U.S. midterms. Across the country, rapid expansion is raising questions about electricity bills, water, land use and who benefits from the AI boom. In Georgia, these concerns have become prominent in the governor’s race and elections for the Public Service Commission (PSC).

On November 3, Georgians will elect two of the five commissioners who regulate Georgia Power’s rates and electricity expansion plans. The results could shift control of the PSC. Yet online, posts naming the four PSC candidates account for less than 4% of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them., while posts naming each candidate for governor attract around a fifth.

Repsense analyzed 1,944 public social media posts about Georgia data centers between August 21 and October 13, 2026. More than half (54%) opposed a project, its terms or data centers in general, while fewer than 2% expressed support. The controversy is loud, but far from evenly divided: residents drive much of the criticism, political candidates attract the attention, and the institutions making consequential decisions often escape direct blame.

Four things stand out

  1. The PSC regulates power bills, but gets little blame

    Electricity costs are a major concern, accounting for 15% of posts but 26% of interactions. Yet when posts on power bills assign blame, they name Republicans (59 posts) and Georgia Power (45) far more often than the PSC (19), despite its authority over electricity rates.

  2. The governor’s race is taking over the conversation

    State politics generates 26% of posts but nearly half of all interactions (47%). Attacks on the candidates for governor and the PSC rose from 14% of posts in late August to 46% during the October 6 debate week. The discussion increasingly revolves around politicians rather than the projects themselves.

  3. Criticism dominates, and most of it comes from residents

    Residents authored 45% of monitored posts, and 69% of those criticized a project or its terms, so residents wrote more than half of all opposing posts. A separate analysis of 27,486 sentences found critics leading across all nine examined arguments about data centers; a clear pro-development side appeared in only four.

  4. A journalist brought the tax-break controversy into the spotlight

    Ronan Farrow’s TikTok about Georgia’s $474 million annual data center sales tax exemption drew 15,116 interactions, more than any other monitored post. An Instagram repost inflated the figure to about $750 million. Yet no campaign or party account in the monitored collection cited the audit figure.

01 · Context

Georgia’s data center boom becomes a political question

Who decides what, and where the online conversation sits.

Georgia is in the middle of one of America’s biggest data center building booms. In the first half of 2026, metro Atlanta had nearly 2.9 GW of data center capacity under construction, the most of any U.S. primary market, according to the real estate firm CBRE.

The projects promise investment, jobs and tax revenue. But they also raise questions about electricity bills, water supplies, generous tax incentives and how much say local communities have over developments in their backyards.

Counties and cities control zoning and local approvals. Georgia Power plans electricity infrastructure, while the Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates utility investments and rates. Its five members are elected statewide; Georgia is one of ten states that elect their utility regulators. The governor and state legislature determine statewide rules and tax incentives.

No single institution controls the expansion. And those making the decisions are not necessarily the ones receiving the most attention or blame.

Repsense examined the online conversation to understand who is shaping the debate over Georgia’s data center future, and how that compares with who actually holds the power to decide.

Who decides what

The Decision Engine

Different institutions control different parts of Georgia’s data center boom. Select a pillar to see what each one decides.

Who gets blamed

Posts naming each actor as responsible for a problem

  1. Local officials177
  2. Developers and tech companies163
  3. Georgia Power85
  4. State officials54
  5. PSC*Posts also blame the parties: Republicans in 207 and Democrats in 25. Posts that blame a “Republican-led PSC” count toward Republicans.28

02 · The counties

Where the local battles take shape

Local disputes generated the most discussion, accounting for 41% of the 1,944 monitored posts, but attracted just 19% of interactions.

Posting volume also told little about real-world mobilization: one account produced 150 of Maysville’s 157 posts, while Project Sail drew only 30 despite a legal appeal and a petition that later surpassed 14,000 signatures.

Of the 1,944 posts monitored, 796 concerned a particular county, city or site. Most were critical: 61% opposed a project, its terms or data centers in general, while just 1% expressed support.

The leading complaint was the approval process: undisclosed negotiations, project code names, short notice and public hearings.

Six projects at the center of the conversation

Markers show local opposition as of late October 2026. Select a project to focus the map.

Project details

Select a project from the list or the map to see who is building it, how large it is, its approval status and how it has been received locally.

  • Strong local opposition
  • Officially backed, locally contested
  • Limited organized opposition reported

Case studies

Three projects. Three patterns of participation.

Post counts alone do not show how strong local opposition is.

Camellia

Broad conversation

Posts
297
Accounts
106
Posts per account
2.8

The 297 posts came from 106 accounts, so attention was spread widely rather than driven by one group. Residents questioned the 50% property tax break and the secrecy around the deal, and Sen. Raphael WarnockRaphael WarnockU.S. senator for Georgia · DemocratOn data centersOn August 28, after visiting the Camellia site, called for a moratorium on data center construction until there are no bill increases, no “sweetheart tax giveaways” and no pollution.Online36 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait.’s August 28 post drew 8,255 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. (view post).

Maysville

Concentrated posting

Posts
157
Accounts
4
From one account
96%

One account shared material across local Facebook groups again and again. The 157 posts came from just four accounts, with a combined potential audience of about 6,000 and 501 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.: a high post count, but few people taking part.

Monitored posts naming each project, August 21 – October 13, 2026. The petition figure was reported after the monitoring period.

Cross-cutting issue

Water: from local wells to Congress

286posts, 15% of the monitored conversation

The allegations

The most discussed claim is that building Meta’s Stanton Springs data center in Newton County damaged nearby residents’ wells. One neighbor told Fast Company the construction left sediment in her well water.

Meta’s responseAn effect on groundwater is “unlikely.”

  1. May 2026 · House hearingRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds up brown well water from near a Georgia data center site while questioning an EPA official.
  2. July 21, 2026 · Energy and Commerce Committee markupAfter visiting Georgia, she challenges her colleagues:
“If anyone wants to live right next to one of these data centers here on this committee, please raise your hand.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), July 21, 2026

What the posts show

  • 286posts discussed water
  • Nearly ¾were critical of a project
  • 111came from a single account, the same one behind 150 of the Maysville posts
Illustration of the May 2026 hearing. The quote is from the July 21 markup.
What does it mean?

Opposition starts with residents

Residents authored 45% of monitored posts, 69% of them opposing a project or its terms. Local citizens’ groups were even more critical (88%), while campaigns and parties accounted for just 11% of posts.

News outlets accounted for 24% of posts but 82% of estimated reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views., largely reporting on the disputes rather than taking sides.

Who speaks most often, who reaches the largest audience and who organizes political action are not necessarily the same.

03 · The PSC

Who pays for the boom?

The commission regulates electricity rates. Online, it is rarely the one blamed.

A $50–60 billion expansion. Who pays?

In December 2025, the PSC unanimously approved Georgia Power’s plan to add nearly 10 GW of electricity generation capacity, largely to meet projected data center demand. The expansion includes major new natural gas plants. Chairman Jason Shaw said data centers “or, if necessary, Georgia Power itself” would cover infrastructure costs, not existing customers.

Critics doubt households will be fully protected.

Georgia Power’s base rates are frozen through 2028, but fuel charges are separate and can still push bills higher. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) estimates the plan’s lifetime cost at $50–60 billion and warns of financial risks if projected demand falls short. Commissioner Peter HubbardPeter HubbardPSC, District 3 · Democrat, incumbentWon the seat in November 2025 with nearly 63% of the vote.On data centersSays data centers should pay the costs of their own power demand rather than pass them to households.Online117 posts, 92k reach, 3,125 interactions.Illustrated portrait. (D) cites PSC staff modeling suggesting that demand from large new customers could increase fuel costs for everyone by 5–11%.

A major contract, no commissioner vote

Not every decision reaches the commissioners. In late August, PSC staff approved Georgia Power’s contract to supply OpenAI’s Camellia site without a commissioner vote. Georgia Power says its large-load contracts, now including OpenAI’s, will put about $15 a month of downward pressure on residential bills from 2029; the Sierra Club called it a secret contract.

An election that could change the commission

The commission itself is changing. Tricia Pridemore, a Republican commissioner, stepped down in early September and joined data center developer DC BLOX as an executive. Gov. Brian KempBrian KempGovernor of Georgia · RepublicanTerm ends January 2027.On data centersHis office says he does not support a blanket statewide moratorium. In June he called Bottoms’ plan to halt data centers “insane.” In 2024 he vetoed a bill to pause the data center sales tax exemption.Online52 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait. appointed Stan Wise, a former commissioner, to serve out her term. Her District 5 seat is one of the two on the November 3 ballot.

District 3 is a rematch: HubbardPeter HubbardPSC, District 3 · Democrat, incumbentWon the seat in November 2025 with nearly 63% of the vote.On data centersSays data centers should pay the costs of their own power demand rather than pass them to households.Online117 posts, 92k reach, 3,125 interactions.Illustrated portrait. beat Fitz JohnsonFitz JohnsonPSC, District 3 · RepublicanFormer commissioner; lost the seat to Hubbard in 2025.On data centersDefends the base-rate freeze through 2028 and says the PSC’s rules for large users protect households.Online12 posts, 14k reach, 156 interactions.Illustrated portrait. with nearly 63% of the vote in November 2025. If Hubbard holds District 3 and Shelia EdwardsShelia EdwardsPSC, District 5 · DemocratOn data centersSays large users, including data centers, should pay their fair share of infrastructure costs.Online93 posts, 66k reach, 1,720 interactions.Illustrated portrait. wins District 5, Democrats take a 3–2 majority.

Who gets blamed for bills

Republicans were blamed for power bills more often than Georgia Power itself.

Of 287 posts on power bills, 156 name someone as responsible. Republicans are named in 59 of them and Georgia Power in 45.

Republicans
59
Georgia Power
45
The PSC
19
State officials
18
Developers and tech companies
12

The PSC candidates

Who draws the attention, and what separates them.

District 3

Georgia PSC · elected statewide

Peter HubbardDemocrat · incumbent

117posts

92k reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. Each account counts once. · 3,125 interactionsLikes or reactions, comments and shares on these posts, counted when the posts were collected.

Lower bills, closer scrutiny

Says data centers should pay the costs of their own power demand, and are not yet paying their share.

Fitz JohnsonRepublican

12posts

14k reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. Each account counts once. · 156 interactionsLikes or reactions, comments and shares on these posts, counted when the posts were collected.

Rate freeze, grid reliability

Defends the base-rate freeze and says existing rules for large users protect households from data center costs.

The central disagreement

Whether existing rules already keep data center costs off household bills.

All positions

Peter Hubbard

  • Wants lower bills and closer review of what Georgia Power spends.
  • Backs more solar, battery storage and other clean energy.

Fitz Johnson

  • Defends the base-rate freeze through 2028, which he supported while on the commission.
  • Backs a mix of nuclear, gas, coal and renewables, and says an all-renewable grid would put reliability at risk.

District 5

Georgia PSC · elected statewide

Shelia EdwardsDemocrat

93posts

66k reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. Each account counts once. · 1,720 interactionsLikes or reactions, comments and shares on these posts, counted when the posts were collected.

Lower bills, consumer protection

Says large users, including data centers, should pay their fair share of infrastructure costs.

Josh TolbertRepublican

20posts

14k reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. Each account counts once. · 244 interactionsLikes or reactions, comments and shares on these posts, counted when the posts were collected.

Scrutiny of costs and forecasts

Says data centers “can be a net benefit to Georgia, but only if we get the details right,” and has asked whether Georgia Power will overbuild.

The central disagreement

How firmly to promise lower bills: Edwards campaigns on cutting them, while Tolbert warns a blanket no-increase pledge could risk reliability.

All positions

Shelia Edwards

  • Campaigns on lowering monthly bills and stronger consumer protection.
  • Wants more clean energy, expanded rooftop solar credits and greater transparency in PSC decisions.

Josh Tolbert

  • Wants close scrutiny of who pays for new infrastructure, and has asked if Georgia Power will overbuild; warns a blanket no-increase pledge could risk reliability.
  • A licensed engineer with a doctorate in mechanical engineering, he promises plain-language summaries of major PSC decisions and chances for the public to ask questions.

Positions: FOX 5 Atlanta candidate guide (October 2026), Georgia Recorder voter guides, AJC.

What does it mean?

Bills drive the conversation, but the regulator stays out of view

Bills draw more engagement than any other theme.

Power bills make up 15% of posts but draw 26% of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them., the largest share of any theme, and 35% of measured views. Only tax breaks punch further above their weight, with 9% of posts and 18% of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them..

Ordinary users, not officials, are explaining the PSC to voters.

Some of the most-watched posts on bills are TikTok explainers by individual users.

“Your light bill is political. Georgia’s elected Public Service Commission regulates Georgia Power – and decisions made at the PSC directly affect what millions of Georgians pay for electricity.”
TikTok, individual user · September 24 · 24,100 views · 3,063 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.

Blame for bills lands on the party and the utility, not the regulator.

“Georgia Power is robbing [sic] has raised rates 6 times thanks to the Republican lead psc.”
TikTok, individual user · September 18 · 3,276 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.

The race that sets power prices barely reaches anyone.

Posts naming the four PSC candidates draw under 4% of all interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.. Posts naming Rick JacksonRick JacksonCandidate for governor · RepublicanOn data centersFavors local decisions, provided projects have community support and protect residents from added costs.Online230 posts, 1.19M reach, 31,028 interactions; 148 of the posts are critical.Illustrated portrait. alone draw 20% of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them., and posts naming either candidate for governor come from accounts with 27% of reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views., each account counted once. The race with the most direct effect on bills draws a fraction of the attention.

“Last year, Georgia voters fired GOP PSC commissioner Fitz Johnson by 25+ points because he hiked Geo…”
@GeorgiaDemocrat, X · October 12 · 62 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. · View post

One advocacy group shapes much of the critical case.

Georgians for Affordable Energy, a utility-reform nonprofit founded by Patty Durand, posted 38 times and supplies 15% of the critical sentences on who pays for power in the sentence analysis (Section 5).

“Why data centers are flocking to Georgia: State laws supported by Republicans grant data centers cheap electricity rates and zero taxes, and they are not ashamed.”
Georgians for Affordable Energy, posted in a Facebook group · August 31 · 114 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them., its most-engaged post · View post

The commission’s record has few defenders online.

The most direct defense came from three Cobb County Republican Party posts, which drew two interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. in total, and one local news page relaying Georgia Power’s projected savings. Fewer than one in ten sentences on who pays for power make the pro-development case. Georgia Power’s claim that the OpenAI contract will lower residential bills ran in news coverage but barely traveled on social media.

“It’s a spooky time of year, but your power bill doesn’t need to be a trick. On the PSC, I worked to freeze base rates for three years…”
Cobb County Republican Party, Facebook, sharing a first-person message · October 3 · 1 interactionLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. · View post

04 · The state

Growth, regulation or a pause?

A debate over data center policy has become a debate about the candidates themselves.

On August 28, after visiting OpenAI’s proposed Camellia site, Sen. Raphael WarnockRaphael WarnockU.S. senator for Georgia · DemocratOn data centersOn August 28, after visiting the Camellia site, called for a moratorium on data center construction until there are no bill increases, no “sweetheart tax giveaways” and no pollution.Online36 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait. called for a statewide moratorium on new data centers. The disagreement now runs through the governor’s race: Keisha Lance BottomsKeisha Lance BottomsCandidate for governor · DemocratFormer mayor of Atlanta.On data centersWants a statewide pause on new data centers while the state reassesses their impact.Online210 posts, 1.22M reach, 27,812 interactions.Illustrated portrait. (D) wants to pause new development while the state reassesses its impacts, and Rick JacksonRick JacksonCandidate for governor · RepublicanOn data centersFavors local decisions, provided projects have community support and protect residents from added costs.Online230 posts, 1.19M reach, 31,028 interactions; 148 of the posts are critical.Illustrated portrait. (R) favors local decisions, provided projects have community support and protect residents from added costs.

The race has also turned personal. JacksonRick JacksonCandidate for governor · RepublicanOn data centersFavors local decisions, provided projects have community support and protect residents from added costs.Online230 posts, 1.19M reach, 31,028 interactions; 148 of the posts are critical.Illustrated portrait. holds a stake, which his campaign calls passive, in a proposed data center of at least $6 billion near Hooks, Texas, and BottomsKeisha Lance BottomsCandidate for governor · DemocratFormer mayor of Atlanta.On data centersWants a statewide pause on new data centers while the state reassesses their impact.Online210 posts, 1.22M reach, 27,812 interactions.Illustrated portrait. has made it a central attack.

The incentive itself is under scrutiny. A state audit estimated that Georgia gave up $474 million in sales tax revenue in fiscal year 2025 through the data center exemption, and a January 2026 correction cut the jobs attributed to it from 5,471 to 1,641. Gov. KempBrian KempGovernor of Georgia · RepublicanTerm ends January 2027.On data centersHis office says he does not support a blanket statewide moratorium. In June he called Bottoms’ plan to halt data centers “insane.” In 2024 he vetoed a bill to pause the data center sales tax exemption.Online52 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait. vetoed a pause on the exemption in 2024; it runs through 2031.

From policy to personal attacks

Share of each week’s posts by theme. A post can carry two themes.

Keep scrolling to see how the conversation shifted, step by step

  1. 1Late August · MoratoriumCalls for a statewide pause peak at 19% of posts the week Warnock asks for one, then fall below 5% by mid-September.
  2. 2Mid-September · Local process and controlIn the week of September 14, posts on local process and control rise to 53%, their highest share in any full week.
  3. 3Early October · Candidate attacksAttacks on the candidates for governor and the PSC rise from 14% of posts in late August to 46% in the week of the October 6 debate.
Candidate attacksLocal process and controlMoratorium

The infrastructure debate did not disappear. It became ammunition in the governor’s race.

Hover or tap the chart for each week’s shares. Base: relevant posts in each full week.

Follow the number

How a number travels

The strongest critique of the tax break spread mainly through a journalist’s TikTok. In one widely shared repost, the figure grew by $276 million.

Source · State audit

$474M

Sales tax Georgia gave up in fiscal year 2025 through the data center exemption.

Georgia Department of Audits

Amplified · TikTok

$474Mmatches the audit

“…the state gave up $474 million in sales taxes in one year – and got back just $41 million from the industry.”

Ronan Farrow · August 27 · 120,300 views · 15,116 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. · View postScreenshot of Ronan Farrow’s TikTok on Georgia’s data center tax breaksRonan Farrow · TikTok · August 27“Georgia audited its own data center tax breaks and found…”15,116 interactions · Watch on TikTok →

Reposted · Instagram

$750M+$276M

“…Ronan Farrow found that Georgia has given up nearly $750,000,000 in tax breaks…”

@theaipact · August 29 · 7,739 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. · View postImage from the @theaipact Instagram post: Gov. Brian Kemp beside a data center, with the claim that Georgia gave up $747,000,000 in tax breaks@theaipact · Instagram · August 29“A new investigation from New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow found that Georgia has given up nearly $750,000,000 in tax breaks…”7,739 interactions · View on Instagram →

The argument spread widely, but the number changed as it traveled.

The repost credits Farrow, but his video and the state audit give $474 million. Farrow’s TikTok drew more than half of all interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. on tax breaks.

What does it mean?

When data centers became a campaign fight

46%

The shift

From calls for a pause to candidate attacks

Attacks on the candidates for governor and the PSC rose from 14% of posts in late August to 46% in the week of the October 6 debate. Calls for a statewide pause went the other way: they peaked at 19% of posts the week Sen. WarnockRaphael WarnockU.S. senator for Georgia · DemocratOn data centersOn August 28, after visiting the Camellia site, called for a moratorium on data center construction until there are no bill increases, no “sweetheart tax giveaways” and no pollution.Online36 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait. proposed one, fell below 5% by mid-September and settled around 12% from late September.

Attack and counterattack

Two candidates, two accusations

Against JacksonRick JacksonCandidate for governor · RepublicanOn data centersFavors local decisions, provided projects have community support and protect residents from added costs.Online230 posts, 1.19M reach, 31,028 interactions; 148 of the posts are critical.Illustrated portrait.

BottomsKeisha Lance BottomsCandidate for governor · DemocratFormer mayor of Atlanta.On data centersWants a statewide pause on new data centers while the state reassesses their impact.Online210 posts, 1.22M reach, 27,812 interactions.Illustrated portrait.’ campaign targeted his stake, which Jackson’s campaign calls passive, in a planned data center near Hooks, Texas, where residents say they were kept in the dark, and accused him of using nondisclosure agreements to push it through. Before the debate, a TikTok of her Athens rally speech on his investments drew 3,877 interactions (view postStill from the campaign video: Keisha Lance Bottoms speaking at a rally podiumKeisha for Georgia · TikTok · September 16“Keisha SLAMS Rick Jackson on his data center investments and shares her plans for Georgia”3,877 interactions · Watch on TikTok →).

148 of the 230 posts naming Jackson are critical.

Against Bottoms

Jackson’s side answered that as Atlanta’s mayor, she chaired the Invest Atlanta board that approved incentives for Coda, a Georgia Tech project that includes a data center. She replied that it was “not a hyperscale data center,” meaning not one of the giant campuses built for the largest tech companies.

At the October 6 debate, Bottoms said Jackson had invested in four data center companies; he denied it, though he had acknowledged a stake in one, in Texas, in April.

Attention and blame

The candidates drew more attention than the officeholders

  1. Rick JacksonCandidate for governor230
  2. Keisha Lance BottomsCandidate for governor210
  3. Brian KempGovernor52
  4. Raphael WarnockU.S. senator36

State-level posts are about a quarter of the conversation but draw 47% of all interactions and 48% of measured views. When they name someone as responsible for a problem, it is Republicans in 165 of 265 posts.

$474M

The tax break

The tax-break case spread through a journalist

The audit’s estimate of forgone sales tax spread mainly through journalist Ronan Farrow’s TikTok, and one widely shared repost inflated it by $276 million.

05 · Synthesis

Who is shaping the data center conversation

Themes, platforms, arguments and the moments that moved attention.

What dominates the conversation, and what captures attention

Share of posts, interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. and estimated reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views. by theme. Select a theme for its profile.

Share of postsShare of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.Share of reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views.
Local process and controlHow individual projects get approved: deals negotiated in private, project code names, short notice and rezoning hearings. Residents argue they were shut out and want public input or a local vote; officials say the projects went through the required legal steps.757 posts · 34,856 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
39%
22%
24%
Candidate attacksData centers used to attack candidates: Jackson’s stake in a Texas data center, Bottoms’ record on incentives as Atlanta’s mayor, and PSC candidates’ votes on rate increases.520 posts · 39,535 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
27%
25%
36%
Power billsWho pays for the power built for data centers. Critics say residential customers are subsidizing big users and point to recent rate increases; Georgia Power and the PSC say large users cover their own costs and may even lower bills.287 posts · 41,055 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
15%
26%
27%
WaterHow much water data centers draw and what they do to local supplies, including claims that construction damaged wells near Meta’s Newton County campus. Residents fear depletion and pollution; companies say they use utility water and dispute the harm.286 posts · 10,185 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
15%
7%
6%
MoratoriumCalls to pause new data centers, statewide (Warnock, Bottoms) or locally (as in Cobb County). Supporters want time to set safeguards; opponents, including Kemp and Jackson, say communities should decide and a pause would drive away investment.221 posts · 20,896 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
11%
13%
24%
Health, noise and environmentLiving near data centers and the plants that power them: diesel backup generators, constant noise, night lighting, air pollution and emissions from new gas plants.204 posts · 17,531 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
10%
11%
16%
Energy supplyKeeping up with demand on Georgia’s grid: new gas plants, solar, nuclear and reliability. The utility says new capacity is needed for growth; critics warn of overbuilding and a heavier reliance on fossil fuels.185 posts · 11,437 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
10%
7%
15%
Tax breaksThe state sales tax exemption and local property tax deals. Critics cite the audit’s $474 million in forgone tax and few permanent jobs; supporters say data centers widen the tax base and can cut residents’ property taxes.168 posts · 28,492 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
9%
18%
44%
AI and Big TechThe AI boom and the companies behind it, such as OpenAI, Meta, Google and Microsoft: their power, what AI is for, and calls for the U.S. to build fast to win an AI race.166 posts · about 14,000 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
9%
9%
12%
Jobs and benefitsThe economic case: construction jobs, investment and new local revenue, especially for rural counties. Critics answer that data centers create few permanent jobs.104 posts · 7,226 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
5%
5%
44%
Land and power linesNew transmission lines, eminent domain and the loss of farmland and rural land to large campuses.90 posts · 9,034 interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
5%
6%
2%

Theme profile

Where the conversation happens

Three patterns stand out across platforms. The shares describe the 1,944 posts in this collection, not each platform’s total activity.

Facebook

78%of posts

Where people post and argue

Most of the conversation is on Facebook, and 57% of its posts oppose a project or data centers. It also drew 40% of all interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them..

TikTok

36%of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.

Where stories travel

Only 9% of posts are on TikTok, but they drew 36% of all interactions and half of all measured views.

Truth Social

41%of reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views.

Reach without engagement

Twelve posts, five of them from national accounts with very large followings, make up 41% of all reach but drew almost no interactions. They lift the reach of the tax break and jobs themes.

Base
1,944 relevant posts, August 21 – October 13, 2026
ReachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views.
4.64 million (each account counted once per platform)
InteractionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.
155,495
Views
974,463
Opposing
54% across all platforms

Narrative lab

Critics lead every argument

Nine arguments about data centers, from a separate analysis of 27,486 sentences. Bars show each side’s share. Select an argument.

Argument details

Select an argument to see what each side says, how it does on social platforms and where each side’s case comes from.

Sources
Social posts, news articles, podcasts, Rumble videos and web pages, so counts run higher than the 1,944 social posts elsewhere in this report.
Shares
Shares count sentences. Counted by posts or accounts instead, critics still lead on every argument; the pro-development share is:
  • AI race12–20%
  • Who pays for power6–10%
  • Jobs17–29%
  • Tax breaks14–22%
0% shares
The analysis counts only sentences it classifies with high confidence, so 0% means none passed that bar, not that no one makes the case: KempBrian KempGovernor of Georgia · RepublicanTerm ends January 2027.On data centersHis office says he does not support a blanket statewide moratorium. In June he called Bottoms’ plan to halt data centers “insane.” In 2024 he vetoed a bill to pause the data center sales tax exemption.Online52 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait. and JacksonRick JacksonCandidate for governor · RepublicanOn data centersFavors local decisions, provided projects have community support and protect residents from added costs.Online230 posts, 1.19M reach, 31,028 interactions; 148 of the posts are critical.Illustrated portrait., for example, oppose a statewide pause.
Names
Private individuals are not named.
Method
More detail in the Method section.

Moments that moved attention

InteractionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them. per day, August 21 – October 13, 2026. The five busiest days are numbered; select one to see the story behind it.

15k10k5k
Aug 21Sep 1Oct 1Oct 13

Days are ranked by interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them., not reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views.. The highest-reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views. day, September 1, owed 77% of its reachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views. to Truth Social posts that drew few interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.. Posts are dated by publication.

What does it mean?

From local fights to statewide politics

The data center debate became increasingly political, but local grievances did not necessarily drive the change.

1Local grievances began the story

In the first full week of monitoring, local approval disputes made up 41% of posts: residents on individual sites, water and the secrecy around county decisions.

2State politics took over

By October, attacks on the candidates for governor and the PSC were the largest theme.

Sen. Raphael WarnockRaphael WarnockU.S. senator for Georgia · DemocratOn data centersOn August 28, after visiting the Camellia site, called for a moratorium on data center construction until there are no bill increases, no “sweetheart tax giveaways” and no pollution.Online36 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait.’s August 28 post echoed what Effingham residents had been saying for days, that neighbors were “never notified” and kept “in the dark.”

Next

What to watch

  1. Nov 3Election day. Two PSC seats are elected statewide: HubbardPeter HubbardPSC, District 3 · Democrat, incumbentWon the seat in November 2025 with nearly 63% of the vote.On data centersSays data centers should pay the costs of their own power demand rather than pass them to households.Online117 posts, 92k reach, 3,125 interactions.Illustrated portrait. vs. JohnsonFitz JohnsonPSC, District 3 · RepublicanFormer commissioner; lost the seat to Hubbard in 2025.On data centersDefends the base-rate freeze through 2028 and says the PSC’s rules for large users protect households.Online12 posts, 14k reach, 156 interactions.Illustrated portrait. in District 3 and EdwardsShelia EdwardsPSC, District 5 · DemocratOn data centersSays large users, including data centers, should pay their fair share of infrastructure costs.Online93 posts, 66k reach, 1,720 interactions.Illustrated portrait. vs. TolbertJosh TolbertPSC, District 5 · RepublicanOn data centersSays data centers “can be a net benefit to Georgia, but only if we get the details right.”Online20 posts, 14k reach, 244 interactions.Illustrated portrait. in District 5. If Hubbard holds District 3 and Edwards wins District 5, Democrats take a 3–2 majority.
  2. Dec 1Runoffs for any race where no candidate passes 50%.
  3. WinterCoweta: the appeal of the Sail rezoning and a possible special election on the project, perhaps in mid-January.
  4. Jan 2027A new governor takes office. The General Assembly controls the sales tax exemption and any statewide pause. KempBrian KempGovernor of Georgia · RepublicanTerm ends January 2027.On data centersHis office says he does not support a blanket statewide moratorium. In June he called Bottoms’ plan to halt data centers “insane.” In 2024 he vetoed a bill to pause the data center sales tax exemption.Online52 posts, mostly on large news pages.Illustrated portrait. vetoed a pause on the exemption in 2024; his successor will face the same choice if lawmakers try again.
  5. Feb 2027Cobb County’s data center pause runs until at least early February 2027 and could be extended again.
  6. 2028–32Camellia’s power supply is planned in phases. The state released its regional impact review in September; county approvals are still pending.

Method

About this report

Repsense analyzed 1,944 public social posts about data centers in Georgia, published August 21 – October 13, 2026. This report was produced independently by Repsense and was not commissioned by any campaign or party.

Data

We collected 2,166 public posts about data centers in Georgia. Posts were found mainly by keyword search, across platforms or within selected groups, pages and accounts, depending on the platform. Sources include accounts monitored for Georgia’s 2026 elections and ten Facebook groups and pages that campaign against data centers. Of the posts collected, 1,944 were relevant. The ten groups supply 17% of posts but under 3% of interactionsLikes, comments and shares. They show how much people engaged with the posts, not how many saw them.; without them, 49% of posts oppose data centers instead of 54%. Events after October 13 appear only as context.

How posts were classified

An AI model classified each post by topic, level of government, stance, who it blames and the projects and people it names. Analysts then reviewed a set of posts, starting with those the model was least certain about, followed by less uncertain ones and a sample of confident ones. A hand check of 40 posts found 34 correct, 5 borderline and 1 wrong. “Opposing” covers posts against a specific project or its terms and posts against data centers in general.

Each account has one type, based on its name and posts: residents, news outlets, campaigns and parties, creators, advocacy groups, local citizens’ groups, officials or other.

Measures

Interactions are likes, comments and shares; we lead with them. Views are actual view counts, available for TikTok, X and some Instagram posts. Reach estimates how many people could have seen a post, based on views or followers depending on the platform. A few large accounts dominate it: 12 Truth Social posts carry 41% of all reach. Each account counts once in reach totals, so combined figures can be lower than the sum of their parts.

Argument analysis

The argument chart draws on a separate set of 27,486 sentences from social posts, news, podcasts, Rumble videos and websites. We tested 12 arguments, each with a critical and a pro-development side. Nine are shown. Two, on the governor’s and PSC races, are left out because they measure party arguments rather than views on data centers, and one did not meet our quality threshold. Shares are shown as ranges across counting methods. A check of 40 random results found 31 correct, 5 borderline and 4 wrong; none of the wrong ones belonged on the pro-development side.

Rumble, podcast and website sources are grouped by channel rather than by account type. Account counts treat each Rumble video as a separate source; because Rumble carries a larger share of the pro-development side, this raises that side’s counts most, so the critics’ lead by accounts is, if anything, understated. In the argument panels, “Main voices” assigns account types post by post, so its shares can differ slightly from the rest of the report.

Privacy and limits

Private individuals are not named; their posts are described by platform only, such as “TikTok, individual user.” Officials, candidates, public figures, news outlets and organizations are named and linked where the account owner is confirmed; other accounts are described by type, such as “a campaign or party account.”

ReachRepsense’s estimate of how many people could see the posts: views plus interactions on TikTok, X and Instagram posts that show views; otherwise the account’s followers plus interactions. It measures potential exposure, not actual views. measures potential exposure, not actual views.

Sources

Sources

  1. FOX 5 Atlanta: Georgia Public Service Commission candidates on the ballot (October 2026)
  2. Georgia Recorder: PSC District 3 race guide
  3. Georgia Recorder: PSC District 5 voter guide
  4. AJC: Power bills, data centers dominate Republican PSC debate (April 2026)
  5. AJC: AOC presses EPA over brown water from wells near Georgia data center site (May 2026)
  6. Office of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez: Energy and Commerce Committee markup remarks (July 21, 2026)
  7. WSB-TV: Atlanta leads North America in data center construction (CBRE)
  8. GPB: Georgia PSC approves Georgia Power’s data center-driven expansion
  9. Georgia PSC: Media advisory on the December 19, 2025 decision
  10. Southern Company: PSC approves Georgia Power base rate freeze through at least 2028
  11. GPB: The thread through data centers, your power bill and the election
  12. SELC: PSC approves Georgia Power’s data center plan (advocacy group)
  13. Ballotpedia: Control of the PSC at stake in November
  14. The Current: Revised audit says data centers’ economic impact overstated
  15. FOX 5 Atlanta: Warnock and Kemp clash over the data center boom
  16. Atlanta News First: Bottoms and Jackson trade hypocrisy claims
  17. AJC: Why a Texas data center project is roiling Georgia’s race for governor
  18. The Current: $20 billion OpenAI data center to open in Effingham County
  19. DCD: Prologis’ 900 MW Project Sail gets the go-ahead
  20. Atlanta News First: Coweta commissioners approve rezoning for massive data center
  21. CBS News Atlanta: Coweta residents appeal to stop Project Sail
  22. WSB-TV: Coweta voters push a first-of-its-kind data center election
  23. Times-Herald: Project Oak denied by commissioners
  24. Times-Herald: Where Coweta’s five proposed data centers stand
  25. Fast Company: Meta’s Stanton Springs data center and its neighbors’ water
  26. AccessNorthGA: Maysville cancels special meeting on data center
  27. AJC: Microsoft’s newest AI superfactory opens at Fayetteville campus
  28. SiliconANGLE: Microsoft brings Atlanta AI super factory online
  29. DCD: Google buys 950 acres in Monroe County
  30. WSB-TV: Cobb County extends data center moratorium 180 days
  31. Bloomberg: Kemp rips Democrat’s ‘insane’ bid to halt data centers (June 3, 2026)
  32. WSB-TV: Warnock pushes a statewide moratorium
  33. The Current: Warnock calls for data center moratorium in Georgia (August 28, 2026)
  34. AJC: Georgia Power deal to power OpenAI data center is approved
  35. Georgia Department of Audits: data center tax exemption evaluation, revised summary
  36. GPB: Hubbard on fuel costs and large-load customers
  37. WTOC: State releases the regional impact review for the OpenAI project
  38. Atlanta News First: Former regulator Tricia Pridemore hired by data center developer
  39. AJC: Kemp picks Stan Wise to replace Tricia Pridemore on the PSC
  40. Atlanta News First: Georgia Power’s OpenAI contract approved, expected to lower residential bills
  41. Sierra Club: Georgia PSC approves secret OpenAI contract (advocacy group)
  42. Georgia Recorder: Kemp vetoes pause of data center tax breaks (May 2024)
  43. GPB: OpenAI plans $20B campus in Effingham County
  44. GPB: Bottoms and Jackson face off in town hall debate
  45. Capitol Beat / Rough Draft Atlanta: Bottoms, Jackson clash at debate (October 7, 2026)
  46. Atlanta News First: Public Service Commission approves controversial Georgia Power energy expansion plan (December 19, 2025)
  47. Repsense monitoring, Georgia Data Centers configuration, and sentence-level analysis (run of October 29, 2026).

Statement of Independence and Compliance

This report was prepared by UAB Repsense (“the Company”), a company organized under the laws of Lithuania (legal entity code 306014522) with its registered office at V. Nagevičiaus g. 3, LT-08237 Vilnius, Lithuania.

Editorial independence. The Company prepared this report independently, on its own initiative, and under its own editorial control. No candidate in the 2026 elections in the State of Georgia covered in this report, including the races for governor and for the Georgia Public Service Commission, no authorized campaign committee of any candidate, no political party committee, and no political action committee, nor any agent of them, requested, commissioned, suggested, reviewed, or approved this report or any part of its content, timing, or distribution. No version of the report was shared with any of them before publication.

Funding. This report was funded entirely from the Company’s own general operating resources. No foreign government, government agency, or international body funded, sponsored, directed, or controlled the report, in whole or in part. This includes any European Union institution, any EU Member State government, and any other non-US government. No political party, political organization, or person acting on behalf of any of them funded, sponsored, directed, or controlled the report. No third party made any payment or provided anything of value to the Company in connection with this report.

No electoral advocacy. This report is analytical and descriptive. It does not expressly advocate for the election or the defeat of any candidate. It is not intended and should not be used to solicit or influence any contribution, expenditure, or vote. The Company has not authorized any person to use this report, or its findings, in any communication supporting or opposing any candidate, and the Company has not participated in any such decision.

Data protection. The Company processes personal data in connection with its research in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the General Data Protection Regulation). The data analyzed for this report was limited to publicly available content: posts and account information from public social media accounts, and published news articles, podcasts, videos and web pages. It was processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) (legitimate interests) and, to the extent it reveals political opinions, Article 9(2)(e) (data manifestly made public by the data subject) and Article 89 research safeguards. The Company carried out a data protection impact assessment before processing, applied data minimization and pseudonymization measures, and retains the underlying data only for as long as necessary for the purposes of this research or as required by law, in line with the Company’s privacy policy (repsense.io/privacy-policy-1). Data subjects may exercise their rights by contacting support@repsense.io.

Mykolas Katkus

Chief Executive Officer, UAB Repsense

October 30, 2026

Date

Repsense · Who Decides Georgia’s Data Center Future? · October 30, 2026