A Georgia state senator is renewing a push to make data centers pay more of their own way, sponsoring legislation that would roll back a major sales tax incentive while arguing the savings could be used to reduce taxes for everyone else.

State Senator Chuck Hufstetler, a Republican from Rome,  says he is a sponsor of Senate Bill 410, which targets Georgia’s data center equipment sales-and-use tax exemption. Hufstetler argues data centers should “pay all of their taxes, electricity, water and other costs like everyone else,” calling the exemption a “giveaway” and claiming it will cost Georgia taxpayers $625 million this year, with projections rising next year.

As filed, SB 410 would end the issuance of new exemption certificates after the bill takes effect, while allowing already-issued certificates to continue under existing terms. Supporters say that approach reins in future costs without pulling the rug out from under projects already approved under current law.

The proposal lands as data centers remain a hot topic statewide, with supporters pointing to investment and local tax bases, while critics question whether incentives and infrastructure costs—especially power and water demand—are being shifted onto the public. The measure now heads into the legislative process, where lawmakers will weigh the state’s competitiveness for large-scale projects against the budget impact and long-term utility and resource demands.