Data centers - inappropriate zoning destroying the environment, poisoning wells and causing noise and light pollution during construction - and raising household electricity bills - who should pay?
From here (h/t Emily):
Tell States: Protect consumers from massive utility rate spikes. Make Big Tech pay.
“Right now there are bills in half a dozen states that would protect consumers by requiring Big Tech to pay the cost of the increased energy bills. But it’s not just electricity. It’s the noise and light pollution of these massive data centers, impacting residential neighborhoods.”
Watch the 13-minute video (twice!).
It highlights many issues. Tax breaks of over 100 million bucks, mega salaries of power company executives, the involvement of Blackstone affiliated companies in land purchases - also of over 100 million bucks and a state legislature awash in bribes.
All in the State of Georgia and with lessons for Trump and other State legislators.
Here’s a little context.
From Brave AI:
“The CEO of Georgia Power, Christopher Womack, received a total compensation of $5,695,893 in 2022, which included $2,186,805 in total cash, $2,677,724 in equity, and $831,364 in pension and other forms of compensation.”
A nice little earner.
From here:
https://www.georgiapower.com/about/company/facts-and-figures.html?cid=web_aem_phase-1
“The average price residential customers paid during 2023 was 14.63 cents per kilowatt-hour, and the average annual use per residential customer was 11,483-kilowatt hours.
Georgia Power's 2023 tax payments to city, county, state and federal agencies totaled $1.2 million, or about 13 percent of operating revenues. This represents approximately $454 per customer. Georgia Power is one of Georgia's largest taxpayers.”
“Invested $33 million in charitable causes.”
$1.2 million = 13% of revenues - which would make total operating revenue 9.2 million bucks. Brings the CEO salary of $5.6 million into sharp relief!
Something ain’t right! I wonder what charities they were or were they NGOs of dubious quality!
Would anyone be surprised if Stacey Abrams', whose home state is Georgia, was somehow involved?
Household energy bills for Georgia are complicated as you can see here:
https://psc.ga.gov/utilities/electric/georgia-power-bill-calculator/
From Brave AI:
“The average electric bill in Atlanta, Georgia, was $123 per month in 2020, which is 14.95% greater than the national average of $107. This corresponds to an average cost of electricity of roughly 11.52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the year 2020.”
Atlanta electricity prices may be 10 per cent higher than elsewhere in Georgia.
from here:
Electricity Cost in Georgia: 2025 Electric Rates | EnergySage
“On average, Georgia residents spend about $225 per month on electricity. That adds up to $2,700 per year.
That’s 2% lower than the national average electric bill of $2,747. The average electric rates in Georgia cost 15 ¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh), so that means that the average electricity customer in Georgia is using 1,499.00 kWh of electricity per month, and 17988 kWh over the course of the year.”
The price per kwh is up from 11.52 cents to 15 cents - an increase of 30 per cent in the last 4 years.
The couple in the video say their electricity charges have increased from 250 bucks 9a month) to 400 a month in the last few years - plus 60 per cent.
There were 11.2 million people in Georgia state in 2024 - up 4.4 per cent since 2020.
According to the US Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey, there are 4,483,873 housing units in Georgia. Multiply that by the around 18,000 kwh used, and the 15 cents charge and you get annual total household power bills of a little over 12 billion dollars - up from 9.3 billion bucks in 2020.
So, how much did Georgia household power bills increase because of the data center operated by Meta?
Did Meta get tax breaks and/or a reduced rate for electricity usage from Georgia Power Company?
Why was the Georgia data center nor located in the industrial zone and instead in a residential zone?
Why is Meta not required to make the residents it has harmed from noise and light pollution, well poisoning and dirt and dust in toilets/sinks and household appliances whole?
On the face of it, Georgia’s residents are paying an extra 3 billion a year to subsidize Meta, facilitated by Blackstone and Federal/state taxes.
There are important lessons for all US States. Not least in getting data center operators like Meta to pay for their own electricity and not get households to subsidize them!
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Onwards!!!
Try CT.. Way worse! Plus we pay a Public Benefits For people who don't. No say. My contributon to the not working or paying peple.. 64$ for 1 month. Only 2 people in the home and working. My bill.. Last. Month was 265$$