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NIMBYs threaten to sink Project Sail, a $17B datacenter development in Georgia

14 points by rntn 1y ago

toomuchtodo 1y ago
They should kill it. It will raise their electricity prices and use their water with little benefit to the community. Water Crisis of Data Centers: Google, Meta, and the Hidden Costs of AI Growth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44984513 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44984513 - August 2025 Tucson City Council Pulls Plug on Amazon's Project Blue Data Center - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44831057 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44831057 - August 2025 US utilities plot big rise in electricity rates as data centre demand booms - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44523686 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44523686 - July 2025 Data center projects blocked or delayed amid local opposition - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44097350 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44097350 - May 2025 https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report
not_a_bot_4sho 1y ago
It's unfortunate that 'NIMBY', a pejorative at this point, is used to describe anyone who has concerns like these.
bell-cot 1y ago
Given the current state of the AI bubble - what are this DC's chances of being built regardless? (For those unfamiliar, this is hardly the first time that a Georgia county's gov't has favored hot-trend high-tech development over the clear wishes of their voters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport_Camden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport_Camden )
josefritzishere 1y ago
Everyone's water and power bills go up, they get a tax break and therefore don't contribute to the local budget, and almost no local jobs are created.... it’s just not a great deal for the residents.
sambeau 1y ago
These giant datacentres bring nothing to a community; they only take, take, take. Why would anyone want one in their neighbourhood?
ryandvm 1y ago
I prefer to use the term NIMBY for folks that are pushing back on a greater societal good in preference to their personal benefit. Fighting low cost housing, or nuclear power, or solar farms. I'm not sure protecting your water or power rates is what I have in mind when I hear NIMBY.
VariousPrograms 1y ago
The news during the industrial revolution must’ve been like “Working class NIMBYs threaten economic development with petty complaints about smog and sludge water from our great new factories.”

14 points by rntn 1y ago

They should kill it. It will raise their electricity prices and use their water with little benefit to the community. Water Crisis of Data Centers: Google, Meta, and the Hidden Costs of AI Growth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44984513 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44984513 - August 2025 Tucson City Council Pulls Plug on Amazon's Project Blue Data Center - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44831057 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44831057 - August 2025 US utilities plot big rise in electricity rates as data centre demand booms - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44523686 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44523686 - July 2025 Data center projects blocked or delayed amid local opposition - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44097350 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44097350 - May 2025 https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report

not_a_bot_4sho 1y ago

It's unfortunate that 'NIMBY', a pejorative at this point, is used to describe anyone who has concerns like these.

bell-cot 1y ago

Given the current state of the AI bubble - what are this DC's chances of being built regardless? (For those unfamiliar, this is hardly the first time that a Georgia county's gov't has favored hot-trend high-tech development over the clear wishes of their voters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport_Camden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport_Camden )

josefritzishere 1y ago

Everyone's water and power bills go up, they get a tax break and therefore don't contribute to the local budget, and almost no local jobs are created.... it’s just not a great deal for the residents.

sambeau 1y ago

These giant datacentres bring nothing to a community; they only take, take, take. Why would anyone want one in their neighbourhood?

ryandvm 1y ago

I prefer to use the term NIMBY for folks that are pushing back on a greater societal good in preference to their personal benefit. Fighting low cost housing, or nuclear power, or solar farms. I'm not sure protecting your water or power rates is what I have in mind when I hear NIMBY.

VariousPrograms 1y ago

The news during the industrial revolution must’ve been like “Working class NIMBYs threaten economic development with petty complaints about smog and sludge water from our great new factories.”