Category Archives: Datacenter

Songs for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest on Scott James radio 2026-08-13

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Last call, songwriters, tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19, 2026:

https://forms.gle/fihLNVC2xbD1SXBB6

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman discussed the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest last Thursday at the Mayor’s day job, the radio show he owns and hosts on talk921.fm.

Songs can be about any waterbody in the 10,000-square mile Suwannee River Basin or Estuary in Georgia or Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, or Suwannee Rivers, or the Okefenokee Swamp, or any other river, creek, swamp, or sink. Plus underground waters such as the Floridan Aquifer.

Songwriters can be from anywhere; they come from as far as Tennessee and south Florida.

[Songs for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest by August 19, on Scott James radio, Finalists play September 12, 2026]
Songs for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest by August 19, on Scott James radio, Finalists play September 12, 2026

Here are WWALS videos from that radio show:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2118859655696045

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcL-5a7I2nc/

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSTFinxTNQsw&si=u4CDRXlSjW5tCIl6

Once we get those last few songs from the procrastinating songwriters, the organizing committee will select Finalists.

The Finalists will play at WWALS River Revue, 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club in Lake Park, Georgia, on Long Pond.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

When you buy a ticket, you get to hear them along with the three judges, who will select the winners.

And you get a sit-down dinner with cash bar, Headliner Joe First, who is last year’s winner, and two speakers:

  • Amy Sharma of Science for Georgia, talking about hyper-scale AI datacenters.
  • Rick Davis, Chair of the dozen-county Florida Task Force, talking about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the currently-hibernating scheme to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee Basin.

Plus a silent auction! Continue reading →

Florida Governor Candidates: Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17

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Here’s what six people running for Florida Governor have to say about clean water. The other candidates did not respond.

We got a variety of answers about WFNF, desalination, potable reuse, WMDs, datacenters, and RTCW. For what these candidates wrote about those and other issues, see below.

[Florida Governor Candidates, Clean Water Questionnaire, WFNF, Datacenters, WMDs, etc. --WWALS 2026-08-17]
Florida Governor Candidates, Clean Water Questionnaire, WFNF, Datacenters, WMDs, etc. –WWALS 2026-08-17

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

We already reported responses from statehouse District 9 and District 10, and also U.S. Congress Florida District 2.

For much more about Water First North Florida (WFNF), see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

Primary Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18. Continue reading →

Florida U.S. House District 3: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17

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Update 2026-08-17: Florida Governor Candidates: Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17.

Here’s what some of those running for U.S. Congress from Florida District 3 have to say about clean water: Troy Albers and Seth Harp.

Kat Cammack (the incumbent), Georgia Hubac, Mike Klein, and Tom Wells did not respond.

FL-03 covers Hamilton, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Alachua, Gilchrist, Suwannee, (most of ) Lafayette, Dixie, Levy, Counties, and part of Marion County. That’s almost all of the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, except not Madison County.

[Florida U.S. House District 3, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire --WWALS 2026-08-17]
Florida U.S. House District 3, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

We already reported responses from statehouse District 9 and District 10.

In FL-03 also WFNF is not popular, WMDs in their current form are problematical, hyper-scale AI datacenters are looked upon ascance, and these candidates support RTCW. For these candidates’ answers to those and other questions, see below.

For much more about Water First North Florida (WFNF), see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

Primary Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18.

Our source for who is running is Continue reading →

Alleged Sinkhole, Rustic Ridge Road, Foxborough subdivision 2026-08-12

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Dennis Norman, the landowner with the big hole in his driveway at 4637 Rustic Ridge Road, said his wife did a video recording of the children back in 2019 and he saw the crack in the driveway then.

He told the county about it this spring, before his driveway collapsed. Last Wednesday he was waiting around for somebody from the county to come out, who apparently already had, and I finally got his Commissioner to call him.

According to the dictionary and USGS, it’s a sinkhole.

The question is what caused it: “gradual soil movement”, a sewer pipe break, or a contractor running something along the road?

And who is responsible for the damages.

Also, are there more cavities that may collapse.

[Alleged Sinkhole 2026-08-12, 4637 Rustic Ridge Road, Foxborough subdivision, Lowndes County, GA]
Alleged Sinkhole 2026-08-12, 4637 Rustic Ridge Road, Foxborough subdivision, Lowndes County, GA

Here’s a WWALS video playlist from the site:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLalLgq5w7US8&si=VY1m8J6P8PGdqjcS

Dennis Norman had already called the county before his driveway collapsed. He thought it was a sinkhole then, and he’s still not sure.

He stuck his tape measure down in there, and it was 5 feet 3 inches deep before it collapsed. Continue reading →

Sabal Trail wants a second pipeline and bigger compressor stations 2026-08-03

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Sabal Trail proposes to add another fracked methane pipeline alongside the one it plowed under the Withlacoochee, Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee (South) Rivers almost a decade ago, plus bigger compressor stations in Suwannee and Marion Counties, Florida, and elsewhere.

What “economic development” could eat such a doubling of pipeline capacity? I know of only one candidate: hyper-scale AI datacenters, powered by gas plants such as the one rumored in Mitchell County, Georgia, near the Sabal Trail pipeline.

[Sabal Trail wants a second pipeline and bigger compressor stations, 2026-08-03]
Sabal Trail wants a second pipeline and bigger compressor stations, 2026-08-03

The first person to post this letter online was apparently Jodi Brantley, today, August 14, 2026. Others confirm that multiple landowners received this letter. The gist of the letter is on Sabal Trail’s own website:

https://www.sabaltrailtransmission.com/Project

This is not the long-delayed Project Phase III, which was supposed to add 75 million cubic feet per day. That one was originally supposed to be in service May 1, 2021, but got extended until May 1, 2023, and again to May 1, 2025, and most recently to May 1, 2027.

This Sabal Trail Expansion is a new project.

The current Sabal Trail pipeline “is capable of transporting over 1 billion cubic feet per day or more of natural gas to serve local distribution companies, industrial users and natural gas-fired power generators in the Southeast markets.”

So a second pipeline could add another billion cubic feet per day.

Sabal Trail’s excuses are: Continue reading →

Florida State House District 10: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-04

2 Replies

Update 2026-08-17: Florida U.S. House District 3: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17.

Update 2026-08-05: Now with a response from Marshall Rawson, added to the responses from June by Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson and Chase Brannan, and James Hunter Batley’s response that he dropped out of the race.

Here’s what those running for Florida State Representative District 10 have to say about clean water: Chase Brannan and Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson. Marshall Rawson did not respond, and James Hunter Batley dropped out of the race.

District 10 covers Columbia, Baker, Union, and Bradford Counties, and part of Alachua County.

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

We already reported responses from District 9 candidates yesterday.

In District 10 also WFNF is not popular, WMDs in their current form are problematical, hyper-scale AI datacenters are looked upon ascance, and RTCW needs more education. For these candidates’ answers to those and other questions, see below.

For much more about Water First North Florida (WFNF), see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

[Florida State House District 10, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire, by WWALS]
Florida State House District 10, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire, by WWALS

Early voting for the primary starts this Saturday August 8, and Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, so we will be reporting answers for more districts whether all the candidates respond or not.

Our source for who is running is the Florida Department of State Candidate Tracking System.

https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/Index.asp

As an IRS 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, WWALS cannot support or oppose any specific candidate for office. But we can ask all candidates in a race what they think, and publish the results. Continue reading →

Data Center Public Event in Irwinville 2026-07-29

There’s a public meeting this Wednesday against the Project Arrowhead datacenter in Irwin County, organized by Matt Day.

That’s Wednesday, July 29, 5 PM,
at the Irwinville Community Center, 1937 GA 32.

[Data Center Public Event, Irwinville Community Center, Irwinville, GA, 5 PM, July 29, 2026]
Data Center Public Event, Irwinville Community Center, Irwinville, GA, 5 PM, July 29, 2026

As a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, WWALS of course does not endorse or oppose Matt Day or any other candidate for office. This post is about the meeting and the issue.

For much more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

Matt Day wrote on facebook, July 25, 2026:

ATTENTION IRWINVILLE, GA…

I am coming to your town next Wednesday and I am bringing two very special guests with me.

These Executives have ran companies that helped some of earth’s biggest construction projects, some of which were Data Centers. They are not the Data Center Developers, but the Construction Companies over the Blue Collar Workers who do the actual building.

These men have agreed to something very few construction firms have had the nerve todo…stop building Data Centers where the Communities are not allowing Citizens to Vote on them coming in. Nor will they Continue reading →

Moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations –Cook County BOCC 2024-12-02

Cook County, Georgia, was ahead of everybody else in passing a datacenter moratorium, way back on December 2, 2024.

Commissioner Rowe moved to approve a moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations in Cook County. Commissioner Daughtrey seconded the motion; the motion carried unanimously.

[Moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations --Cook County BOCC 2024-12-02]
Moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations –Cook County BOCC 2024-12-02

According to Cook County Manager Randall Lane, the motion itself is the entire text of the moratorium.

He wrote, “It was added to the Agenda by a Commissioner, and it was voted on unanimously to approve until lifted by the Board.”

Cook County is bounded on the west by the Little River, and on the east by the Withlacoochee River and its tributary the New River. Like everywhere else in the Suwannee River Basin, Cook County drinks from the Floridan Aquifer, for home, industry, and agriculture.

The county seat, Adel, on July 6, 2026, passed its own datacenter moratorium.

Adel’s moratorium is two pages compared to Cook County’s one sentence.

Downstream on the Withlacoochee River, the datacenter moratorium that Madison County, Florida, passed on July 23, 2026, is intermediate in length and complexity.

In between, Lowndes County, Georgia, has passed nothing: no moratorium, and no datacenter ordinance.

For much more about detacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters Continue reading →

Datacenter deal proposal: no documents responsive 2026-07-01

It appears that the rumored Irwin County datacenter tax pre-payment proposal is vaporware, speculation, hearsay.

The response from the Irwin County Clerk on July 21 was:

“I have received your request. At this time, there are no documents responsive to your request.”

[Datacenter deal proposal in Ocilla Star 2026-07-01, no documents responsive, Irwin County Clerk 2026-07-21]
Datacenter deal proposal in Ocilla Star 2026-07-01, no documents responsive, Irwin County Clerk 2026-07-21

That was in response to my open records request of July 19, 2026: Continue reading →

Adel, GA, Datacenter Moratorium 2026-07-06

Here is the 180-day datacenter moratorium that the City of Adel, Georgia, passed on July 6, 2026.

[Adel, Georgia, Datacenter Moratorium, 180 days, July 6, 2026]
Adel, Georgia, Datacenter Moratorium, 180 days, July 6, 2026

RESOLUTION No. 26-02

RESOLUTION FOR A MORATORIUM ON THE CONSIDERATION, PROCESSING, AND ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS OF NEW BUSINESS LICENSES, BUILDING PERMITS, OR OTHER APPROVALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OR DEVELOPMENT OF DATA CENTERS WITHIN THE CITY OF ADEL

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the State of Georgia provides that the City of Adel enjoys and possesses home rule powers, police powers, zoning/land development powers and the ability to license and regulate certain businesses and occupations within the boundaries of the City; and

WHEREAS, the City of Adel shall have, inter alia, the full power and authority to license, regulate, control, or prohibit all businesses (Adel City Charter, Sec. 26);

WHEREAS, the City of Adel may, in the interest of public health, safety, order, convenience, comfort, prosperity, or general welfare, adopt by ordinance a plan or plans for the districting or zoning of the City for the purpose of regulating the location of trades, industries, apartment houses, dwellings, or other uses of property (Adel City Charter, Sec. 24);

WHEREAS, the City of Adel may define and prohibit nuisances within the corporate limits of said City (Adel City Charter, Sec. 27);

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the City of Adel may enact and revise ordinances to regulate the issuance of licenses and permits for the construction, development, establishment, and operation of data centers within the City;

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the City of Adel find there is a present need to review and revise the ordinances, zoning regulations, land development standards, licensing requirements, and nuisance regulations relating to the construction, location, placement, and operation of data centers within the City;

WHEREAS, data centers are a relatively new and evolving land use consisting of Continue reading →