The Georgia House will create a special committee to tackle the rising energy needs of industries that require a lot of power, mainly due to the growth of data centers and technology sectors, as announced by House Speaker Jon Burns. This committee will not focus only on data centers but will take a broader approach. Concerns have grown that Georgia’s utilities may struggle to meet the increasing electricity demands, especially with Amazon Web Services planning an $11 billion expansion in the state, which will create at least 550 new jobs. Last year, Georgia Power reported that data centers were responsible for 80% of their increased electricity demand. Lawmakers also question the financial benefits of data centers, with a state audit showing low returns from tax exemptions. Despite a sales tax exemption suspension proposal aimed at data centers, Governor Kemp vetoed it at the request of business groups. Burns will recommend state Rep. Brad Thomas to chair the committee.
