FW: Macon Telegraph: Monroe County considering new rules for data centers, vote March 3

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From: Mark Woodall <woodal...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2026 6:51 AM
To: Neill Herring <neillh...@earthlink.net>
Subject: Macon Telegraph: Monroe County considering new rules for data centers, vote March 3

 

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT Monroe County considering new rules for data center construction. What are they?

 

 By Lucinda Warnke February 26, 2026 2:43 PM 

 

 Monroe County is considering creating development standards regulating where and how data centers can be built. The move comes as localities scramble to update ordinances to manage the influx of data centers in Middle Georgia. Monroe County has had a moratorium on data centers since December 2025, when the commission put one in place while the county considered new standards.  

 

 Data centers are already trying to set up shop in the area. A proposal to rezone around 950 acres of land off Rumble Road for a data center was approved in November 2024, and Google purchased the property for a staggering $42 million in September 2025. Richard Dumas, a spokesperson for the county, said the new rules, if passed, would apply to future projects as well as the Rumble Road project as its buildings have not yet been constructed. 

 

What do the new standards say? According to documents obtained by The Telegraph, officials are considering whether to amend the county’s unified development ordinance — a comprehensive set of land-use laws — to set standards around the construction of data centers. The Monroe County Planning and Zoning Board discussed and voted to recommend the standards with amendments during their Monday meeting. The Monroe County Board of Commissioners will vote on the draft on March 3. The proposed standards create new rules around everything from light and sound to zoning districts. 

 

One of the more notable changes would restrict data centers to M-1 districts instead of C-1, meaning they would have to go into areas zoned for industrial purposes, not commercial districts. The standards as currently written would require a 100-foot buffer, with the planning and zoning board recommending that it be upped to a 200-foot buffer in the final version. The current version places new rules around generators, dictating that they must be fully enclosed either within the data center or in buildings around the main facility. The sound of the generators would not be allowed to exceed 65 decibels as measured at the property line, which is roughly equivalent to the noise level in a business office, according to a guide from Yale University. The standards would require that an acoustical noise study be conducted by a third party and submitted to the county prior to a data center receiving a certificate of occupancy.

 

 The planning and zoning board also recommended adding tighter standards around sound, light pollution and utility usage. These proposed rules would forbid the use of diesel and gas-powered generators as the primary source of power and require that power come from a regulated public utility. To reduce light pollution, the planning and zoning board recommended that “dark sky language” be added to the standards, which is language meant to preserve night skies and, by extension, the surrounding environment. The language suggested by the planning and zoning board said light poles must be under 25 feet and be at least 10 feet from exterior property lines. The rules also would prohibit light poles within the required buffer area. Light sources must be shielded and downcast to prevent light from spilling onto adjacent properties or disrupting the night sky. 

 

Have other places taken similar steps? Many other localities in Georgia have passed similar amendments and language, but they haven’t always been successful or popular. In Jones County, commissioners passed an ordinance in January seeking to set rules around data centers. However, residents and experts in the area expressed concern that the language was not rigorous enough, and that the process by which it was passed was flawed. Anxiety only grew after it was revealed that county officials had been in touch with a data center developer about the ordinance and its language months prior.

 

 Residents are now suing the county over the ordinance. In other localities where data center moratoriums and ordinances have been passed, results have varied. Some areas — such as Lumpkin and Forsyth counties — have placed restrictions that are so tight they effectively bar data centers, according to reporting from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, The Telegraph’s sister paper. Other places have sought to create ordinances that placate community concerns while still leaving room for data center development. In DeKalb County, commissioners proposed zoning changes that would set regulations while still permitting data centers. While officials have expressed support for the proposal, residents have continued to raise concerns. Even the state is grappling with similar questions as the Georgia General Assembly considers multiple bills seeking to regulate data centers. Currently, Georgia has few state-level regulations for such projects, making it attractive to developers seeking to build them.

Read more at: https://www.macon.com/news/politics-government/article314839990.html#storylink=cpy