Overview
- Marietta City Council voted 5-2 on Wednesday to approve an 11-acre data center on Powers Ferry Place, ruling the proposal exempt from a recently adopted six-month moratorium because the application was filed before the ban took effect.
- Hundreds of residents attended the hearing and dozens protested outside, with opponents saying data centers can raise utility bills, harm the environment, lower property values and fail to deliver promised local jobs.
- Elected officials and specialists pressed the developer on operational risks, including backup generator noise, scenarios where multiple standby generators might run at once, and the facility's cooling system and proposed use of propylene glycol.
- Supporters including the Cobb Chamber argued the project brings infrastructure, construction and IT jobs and tax revenue, while critics noted Prime Group is based in New York City and questioned how much economic benefit will reach nearby neighborhoods.
- City officials have not announced a construction start date, and residents and some lawmakers are calling for clearer transparency and binding guardrails on data center siting as Georgia continues a rapid statewide buildout that has prompted similar moratoria.