Georgia Power Uses Eminent Domain for Data Center Grid Expansion

Georgia Power is initiating a significant grid expansion project that will involve the construction of over 1,000 miles of new transmission lines and the addition of approximately 10 gigawatts of new generating capacity within the next five years. This ambitious undertaking is primarily driven by the escalating energy demands of burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) data centers across the state. The project's scope necessitates the acquisition of land across more than 330 parcels, a process that will lead to the demolition of nearly 30 residential properties. Affected homeowners are being presented with the choice to sell their homes or face the prospect of having their properties seized through eminent domain.

Ansley Brown, a resident whose childhood home is directly in the path of the proposed transmission lines, expressed her distress on Instagram, stating, "My childhood home is being taken by Georgia Power. They are going to bulldoze this entire property to the ground." This sentiment highlights the profound personal impact of the utility's expansion plans on long-standing residents.

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Georgia Power's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan last year, a document that outlines projected energy needs and anticipates continued power requirements fueled by AI investments. The plan explicitly details the "10-year plan includes new transmission resources across more than 1,000 miles of transmission lines." Furthermore, the PSC has sanctioned a formal evaluation process for new grid-enhancing technologies aimed at boosting grid capacity to meet these growing demands.

Currently, Georgia Power is engaging with residents along a 35-mile corridor that traverses Fayette, Heard, Fulton, and Coweta Counties. This segment of the project, known as the Ashley Park-Wansley Transmission Project, aims to establish a transmission line connecting the Ashley Park Substation to the Wansley plant. A spokesperson for Georgia Power stated to Fortune that the project is intended "to serve the broader needs of the communities and customers who rely on critical and reliable service infrastructure." However, the immediate consequence for many residents is the potential loss of their homes and land to facilitate this large-scale energy infrastructure development, which is intrinsically linked to the state's strategy to attract and support AI-related industries.