Georgia state Senator Carden Summers, who represents Irwinville, tried last Thursday to “gut” SB 34, which would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills. That’s a bill he co-sponsors.

Sen. Summers represents Irwinville, where a datacenter is planned, with a special exception request to be heard at an Irwin County Planning Commission in Ocilla next Thursday, February 26, 2026.

Sen. Carden Summers tries 2026-02-12, to amend to weaken GA SB 34, that would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills.

He tried a similar amendment a year ago in the same committee, and could not get a second for his motion, according to Dave Williams, Capitol Beat, February 25, 2025. The committee favorably reported SB 34 on February 26, 2025, and apparently its text remains unchanged since then.

Maybe you’d like to ask Sen. Carden Summers why he is a co-sponsor of SB 34 if he doesn’t like what it says?

https://www.legis.ga.gov/members/senate/4971?session=1033
(404) 463-5258
carden.summers@senate.ga.gov

He represents Berrien, Tift, Worth, Crisp, Turner, Ben Hill, Irwin, and west half of Coffee Counties.

If he’s not your state Senator, feel free to contact yours:

https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-senate/

This is the Senate video of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities on February 12, 2026, about SB 34.

The discussion of an amendment by Sen. Carden Summers starts at 30:39 with witness Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, District 52, talking apparently as Chair of the Finance Committee.

https://www.youtube.com/live/onWqiBK4Goc?si=PqiAEj4YTZnGHXFW&t=1839

Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, 2026-02-12 –GA Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities

He says the amendment proposed by Sen. Carden Summers would “gut” the bill by replacing it with a House bill. He was apparently referring to HB 1063.

Thanks to Patty Durand for posting this video in the facebook group Georgians Against Data Centers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/673117812334454/posts/916254228020810/

She notes you can go to “42:41 to watch Senator Brass (Newnan, Coweta & Heard Counties, and half of Carroll County) try to insert language from another bill written by Ga Power as he seeks to weaken Senate Bill 34 which mandates that utilities charge data centers for costs related to their needs instead of spreading costs across their customer base as now.”

https://www.youtube.com/live/onWqiBK4Goc?t=2561s

Sen. Carden Summers speaks at 47:19, trying to claim the amendment wouldn’t adversely affect the bill.

https://www.youtube.com/live/onWqiBK4Goc?si=P2naBB13xwvXaMu_&t=2838

Sen. Carden Summers, 2026-02-12 –GA Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities

At 48:17 Hufstetler makes the interesting point that residential and small businesses have a 60-year mortgage for Plant Vogtle and now that power will go elsewhere (apparently meaning with datacenters).

https://www.youtube.com/live/onWqiBK4Goc?si=UYOukcAYDv1QAiE_&t=2897

The Chairman of the Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities said they weren’t going to vote, because he wanted to hear from GA Power and PSC before that.

Dr. Amy Sharma of Science for Georgia speaks at 1:02:37.

https://www.youtube.com/live/onWqiBK4Goc?si=TpE-fFzOGmRFZzUz&t=3757

Among her points: demand probably will be less than half of purported demand.

This is the current text of SB 34:

25

LC 55 0415

Senate Bill 34

By: Senators Hufstetler of the 52nd, Summers of the 13th, Albers of the 56th, Anavitarte of the 31st, Robertson of the 29th and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

1 To amend Chapter 2 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the

2 Public Service Commission, so as to prohibit certain costs incurred by an electric utility as

3 a result of providing electric services to commercial data centers from being included in any

4 rates or charges of such electric utility unless such rates or charges are designed to recover

5 such costs solely from or, at least, substantially from such commercial data centers; to

6 provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to

7 repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

10 Chapter 2 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Public

11 Service Commission, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

12“46-2-25.4.

13 (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Code Section 46-3-11, no costs incurred by an

14 electric utility, including, but not limited to, costs associated with increased fuel

15 requirements, generation costs, and transmission costs that:

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Code Section 46-3-11, no costs incurred by an electric utility, 2025-02-26, including, but not limited to, costs associated with increased fuel requirements. generation costs, and transmission costs that:
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16 (1) Are substantially related to the provision of electric services to commercial data

17 centers; and

18 (2) Would not have been incurred but for the electric demand of such commercial data

19 centers,

20 shall be included in any rates or charges approved or allowed to go into effect under Code

21 Section 46-2-25 or 46-2-26 unless such rates or charges are designed to recover such costs

22 solely from commercial data centers or, at least, substantially recover such costs from

23 commercial data centers.

24 (b) As used in this Code section, the term ‘commercial data center’ means a facility,

25 campus of facilities, or array of interconnected facilities in this state that is used by an

26 entity or other business enterprise to operate, manage, or maintain a computer, group of

27 computers, or other organized assembly of hardware and software for the primary purpose

28 of processing, storing, retrieving, or transmitting data and that has a peak demand of 100

29 megawatts or greater.”

SECTION 2.

31 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law

32 without such approval.

SECTION 3.

34 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

(1) Are substantially related to the provision of electric services to commercial data centers: and, 2025-02-26, (2) Would not have been incurred but for the electric demand of such commercial data centers.
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 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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