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Data centers in Clarke County, Georgia: 2 projects mapped
Athens-Clarke County said no to its first big data center proposal and then wrote rules for the rest. On October 7, 2025 the Mayor and Commission voted unanimously against rezoning 233 acres of farmland on Old Elberton Road from agricultural to industrial for a four-building, 2-million-square-foot data center filed on behalf of the landowner, FAE Clark LLC, with no end user named. The planning commission had recommended denial. "I feel like we need to lay down a moratorium and learn everything we possibly can about this technology," Commissioner Melissa Link said afterward.
The commission then imposed a moratorium on new data centers, and in March extended it to June 5 while planners drafted an ordinance; meanwhile a new data center was proposed at the Athena Studios site. Commissioner Ovita Thornton said many people, including her, had not known that a data center was already running nearby on Voyles Road, a smaller site built years earlier without needing rezoning, separate from FAE Clark's denied proposal. "There is an extreme concern throughout the community, and I think we need to make it as onerous as possible," Link said in March.
In April 2026 the commission unanimously lifted the ban and replaced it with regulations: data centers may be built only in heavy industrial zones and must use closed-loop cooling that uses less water. Commissioner Carol Myers, who moved the ordinance, proposed further rules including water and energy use reporting. Commissioner Tiffany Taylor pointed to the Pittard Road neighborhood, where residents confirmed in 2024 that their wells had been contaminated by a former industrial project: "We don't want a repeat of what happened with pollutants in communities, especially marginalized communities."
Data center projects on record in Clarke County
Grouped by the town each site sits in. The report above may name projects that have no record here yet.
Athens1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athena Studios Data CenterAthens | Joel Harber / Athena Studios | Proposed | Not reported |
Shoals Crossing1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Shoals Crossing Data CenterShoals Crossing | Not reported | 3 MW | Source off site ↗ |
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.