#DataCenters | AM 1180 Radio

February 27, 2026

Rep. Lumsden Highlights Data Center Protections, Campus Safety and Foster Care Reforms as Session Passes Midpoint

Local News, Local News Items #AutismScreening, #CampusSafety, #chattoogacounty, #ConsumerProtection, #DataCenters, #eddielumsden, #EnergyPolicy, #FloydCounty, #FosterCare, #georgiahouse, #GeorgiaLegislature, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #HB1063, #Naloxone, #northwestgeorgia, #RoadSafety, #StudentAthleteSafety, #wzqznews 0

State Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), who represents all of Chattooga County and part of Floyd County, says the Georgia House has passed the halfway point of the 2026 legislative session after completing Legislative Day 22. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol following the President’s Day holiday and moved several bills forward during a busy week.

Lumsden highlighted passage of House Bill 1063, which would prevent electric utilities from shifting certain costs tied to large data centers onto residential and small business customers, while codifying Public Service Commission cost-allocation rules into state law. He noted Georgia’s rapid data center growth is driving increased energy demand statewide.

The House also approved legislation to increase access to naloxone on college and technical campuses, expand protections for foster placement caregivers, support autism screenings for children in foster care, strengthen student-athlete health requirements, and improve roadside safety during traffic stops as work continues toward Crossover Day.

See Rep. Lumsden’s complete report below:

February 27, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Senate Panel Rewrites Data Center Power Cost Bill as Northwest Georgia Families Worry About High Electric Bills

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ConsumerProtection, #CostOfLiving, #DataCenters, #EconomicDevelopment, #ElectricBills, #ElectricityRates, #EnergyPolicy, #GeorgiaLegislature, #georgiapower, #Infrastructure, #LocalConcerns, #northwestgeorgia, #PowerBills, #PublicServiceCommission, #summervillega, #trionga, #UtilityRates, #wzqznews 0

A Georgia Senate committee has rewritten legislation meant to protect consumers from higher electricity costs tied to the state’s fast-growing data center industry, advancing a version that supporters say is less explicit about shielding residential customers. The Senate Regulated Industries Committee approved the revamped proposal after rejecting language that would have clearly barred utilities from passing certain data center-related costs onto regular ratepayers.

February 21, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

PSC Commissioner Tricia Pridemore Won’t Seek Reelection, Weighs Possible Run for Congress

Local News, Local News Items #10GigawattExpansion, #AliciaJohnson, #BarryLoudermilk, #CapitolBeatNewsService, #CongressRun, #CostOfLiving, #DataCenters, #ElectricRates, #EnergyDemand, #FitzJohnson, #FloydCountyGeorgia, #GeorgiaElections, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #GeorgiaPressAssociation, #georgiapsc, #GeorgiaPublicServiceCommission, #GridExpansion, #northwestgeorgia, #PeterHubbard, #PSCCommissioners, #StatewideElections, #TimEchols, #TriciaPridemore, #USHouseRace, #UtilityRegulation, #wzqznews 0

Republican Georgia Public Service Commission incumbent Tricia Pridemore announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection this year, a move that adds fresh uncertainty to the balance of power on the five-member panel that regulates monopoly utilities such as Georgia Power.

February 4, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

State Senator Raises Concerns Over Data Center Incentives in Georgia

Local News, Local News Items #ChuckHufstetler, #DataCenters, #EconomicDevelopment, #GeorgiaLegislature, #georgiapolitics, #PublicPolicy, #RomeGA, #StateSenate, #wzqznews 0

State Senator Chuck Hufstetler, a Republican from Rome, says lawmakers are taking a closer look at the rapid growth of data centers across Georgia, calling it one of the most pressing economic and infrastructure issues facing the state.

January 21, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia Senator Pushes Bill to End Data Center Tax Break, Citing $625 Million Cost to Taxpayers

Local News, Local News Items #ChuckHufstetler, #DataCenters, #EconomicDevelopment, #GASenate, #GeorgiaLegislature, #georgiapolitics, #SB410, #TaxCredits, #TaxPolicy, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, #WZQZRadio 0

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.

December 21, 2025

by WZQZ NEWS

PSC Approves Georgia Power Data-Center Expansion, Critics Say Georgians Will Pay the Price

Local News, Local News Items #CleanEnergy, #ConsumerProtection, #DataCenters, #EnergyPolicy, #georgianews, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #georgiapsc, #MethaneGas, #NaturalGas, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #plantbowen, #PlantMcIntosh, #PlantWansley, #Ratepayers, #SouthernCompany, #UtilityRates, #wzqznews 0

The Georgia Public Service Commission voted unanimously this past Friday (Dec. 19) to approve Georgia Power’s request to acquire nearly 10 gigawatts of new energy capacity—a major expansion the utility says it needs to meet projected electricity demand from data centers in coming years. The vote was taken before two new Democratic Public Service Commissioners take office next month, a timing critics say is hard to ignore.

December 17, 2025

by WZQZ NEWS

Sen. Hufstetler Pushes Back on Georgia Power Expansion, Warns of Higher Bills

Local News, Local News Items #ChuckHufstetler, #ConsumerProtection, #DataCenters, #EnergyCosts, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #georgiapsc, #northwestgeorgia, #RomeGA, #WZQZ 0

State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, is continuing his push to protect Georgia residents from cost increases as the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) prepares to vote on an agreement that could allow Georgia Power to add nearly 10 gigawatts of new generation by 2031.

December 13, 2025

by WZQZ NEWS

NW Georgia Republican Senator Blasts PSC’s “Lame-Duck” Georgia Power Vote Set for December 19

Local News, Local News Items #AtlantaGA, #ChuckHufstetler, #ConsumerProtection, #DataCenters, #EnergyRates, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #NWGA, #PSC, #Republican, #SouthernCompany, #UtilityBills, #WZQZ 0

Northwest Georgia State Senator Chuck Hufstetler, a Republican, is raising alarms about a major Georgia Power “stipulation” that the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) plans to vote on December 19—just days before two newly elected Democratic commissioners take office on January 1.

December 12, 2025

by WZQZ NEWS

Critics say Georgia Power–PSC Deal Shifts $16B Data Center Costs Onto Georgia Customers

Local News, Local News Items #AtlantaNews, #ConsumerAdvocates, #DataCenters, #EnergyExpansion, #georgianews, #georgiapolitics, #georgiapower, #georgiapsc, #MonopolyUtility, #NWGAPolitics, #PublicServiceCommission, #RateHikes, #SouthernCompany, #UtilityRates, #WZQZ 0

Georgia Power and staff at the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) have reached a deal on a massive $16 billion power expansion that critics say will leave everyday Georgians paying the price for big data centers and utility profits.