Apparently the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, February 26, at 6 PM, has been moved to the Courthouse. If so, that indicates much interest in this case.

I’m told this datacenter would be for Google, but it doesn’t really matter which big company wants it.

Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, GA, near Alapaha River, Planning Commission 2026-02-26

Datacenters for so-called AI are wasteful misuses of water that could go to agriculture and other uses, and of power that requires more power plants that use more cooling water.

The current alleged artificial intelligence (AI) and especially the current brute-force methods of implementing it will be leapfrogged by something else within a few years, just like expensive computer workstations got leapfrogged by Intel PCs and now everybody has something faster and more capable in their pocket.

https://wwals.net/?p=69238

Why waste our most irreplaceable resource, water, for this?

Map: Fletcher Datacenter Tracts 2026-02-11 — Irwin County Tax Assessor

Someone has started a change.org petition against this datacenter:

https://www.change.org/p/protect-irwin-county-from-data-centers

It goes to the governor, Labor Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, and the members of the Irwin County Commission, as well as other local officials.

Let’s not forget the Georgia legislature and some datacenter bills in there right now. See below.

PUBLIC NOTICE
TO THE CITIZENS OF IRWIN COUNTY

Notice is hereby given that the Ocilla/Irwin Planning Advisory Commission will consider an application for a special exception to zoning on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM. The meeting will be located at the County Commissioner’s Office, 225 E 4th Street, Ocilla, Georgia 31774.

The County Commission will consider the application for the special exception during a public hearing on Monday March 2, 2026 at 5:45 P.M. at the Irwin County Courthouse, 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Ga. 31774.

The application to be considered is as follows: The applicant James Russell Bryant acting for The Marcus D Fletcher Trust is requesting the special exception on the property located at 0 Ponderosa Drive and 0 Alapaha River Road. Ocila, Georgia 31774. The property is located in Land Lots 40 and 41 in the 6th Land District of Irwin County, Map & Parcel Numbers are 0018—-0007, 0026—-0001, and 0026—-0003. The applicant is requesting the special exception be approved for the construction and operation of a DATA CENTER. It will be approximately 546.35 acres in AU zone.

Any opponent of the above proposed amendment who has made campaign contributions aggregating $ 250.00 or more to a local government official of Irwin County or the City of Ocilla, Georgia within two years immediately proceeding the filing of these applications will be required to file a disclosure statement. This will be done at least (5) days prior to the hearing with the Irwin County Zoning Administrator, stating the names and position of the local official that the contributions were made, the amount, description and date of each campaign contribution.

In accordance with the provisions of the American Disability Act of 1990, any disabled person planning to attend the public hearing may contact the Zoning Administrator (24) hours before the meeting at (229) 468-5514. Indicate their time of arrival in order to have a County Staff member assist the person to the meeting room.

Cases for these applications are available for public review and inspection during regular business hours at the office of the Zoning Administrator located at 225 E. 4th Street, Ocilla, Ga. 31774. Staff reports will be available (5) days prior to the Planning Advisory Commission Meeting.

Public Notice, 2026-02-11 –Irwin County

We sent an open records request to Irwin County asking for the board packet for the upcoming Planning Commission meeting.

The response from the Irwin County Interim Chief Appraiser said, “All information pertaining to the meeting for February 26, 2026, will not be available prior to February 21, 2026 as listed in the article. If I receive all information before then I will email the information to you. Thanks for your patience in this matter.”

If anyone gets further information before February 21, please let me know. I will do the same.

Georgia Datacenter Bills

In the Georgia House right now is a bipartisan bill to require any “high resource facility” to disclose energy, water and community impacts to qualify for any local or state tax incentive, HB 528.

Representing Irwin County but not yet a co-sponsor of HB 528 is Georgia House Rep. Angie O’Steen, District 169.

Representing part of neighboring Ben Hill County and already a cosponsor of HB 528 is Leesa Hagan, District 156.

In the Georgia Senate is a bipartisan bill to require big commercial datacenters to pay for excess electrcity use, SB 34.

Representing Irwin County and a co-sponsor on SB 34 is Georgia state Senator Carden Summers, District 13.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Short Link: