---
title: "Data Centers in Georgia Statistics 2026: Power, Tax and Counts"
date: 2026-10-15
author: "Brad Nickel"
featured_image: "https://tricitylocalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/data-centers-georgia-statistics-v2.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Cloud"
    url: "/cloud.md"
tags:
  - name: "Statistics"
    url: "/tag/statistics.md"
---

# Data Centers in Georgia Statistics 2026: Power, Tax and Counts

Georgia Power says **32** large-load customers have committed to receiving approximately **15,600 MW** of electric service, with **21** projects under construction. The Georgia Public Service Commission has approved a stipulated agreement that lets Georgia Power produce **9,885 megawatts** of new energy, most of it for new large customers such as data centers in Georgia.

Georgia is estimated to have **63** active data centers, **35** under construction and another **249** announced as of December 2025, mostly in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. The state’s sales-tax exemption for data centers carried an estimated **$474.2 million** in forgone state tax revenue in FY 2025. The counts, the Atlanta market, the PSC rules, the bill projections, the tax break and the major projects follow, each with the body that published the figure and its date.

## Key Takeaways

- Georgia Power’s approximately **15,600 MW** of committed large load is about **8.7 times** CBRE’s **1,803.2 MW** Atlanta data center inventory.
- OpenAI’s expected need of approximately **3,200 MW** is about one-fifth the size of the approximately **15,600 MW** Georgia Power reported as committed in April 2026.
- Aterio data puts Georgia at an estimated **63** active data centers and **249** announced projects as of December 2025.
- The Institute determined that **30%** of data centers in Georgia could be attributed to the tax exemption, so **70%** would exist without it.
- Forgone state tax revenue is projected at **$866.7 million** in 2030, about **83%** above the **$474.2 million** FY 2025 estimate.
- Georgia Power now projects savings of **$180 per year** for a typical residential customer, up from its December 2025 commitment of **$102 per year**.

## Editor’s Choice

- **Certified new generation:** **9,885 megawatts** of new Georgia Power energy approved by a unanimous **5-0** PSC vote.
- **Atlanta operating inventory:** **1,803.2 MW**, with **29.5 MW** available, in CBRE Research’s Q2 2026 data.
- **Atlanta absorption:** a record **918 MW** in just six months, according to JLL.
- **Fairwater Atlanta IT power:** an estimated **636 MW** for Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta, per Epoch AI.
- **AWS planned investment:** an estimated **$11 billion** to expand AWS infrastructure in Georgia.
- **Large-load threshold:** more than **100 megawatts**, the usage above which new Georgia Power customers can be billed on special terms.

## Data Centers in Georgia by Development Stage

- As of December 2025, Georgia is estimated to have **63** active data centers.
- Active, under-construction and announced facilities total **347** in the Aterio estimate.
- Announced projects outnumber active ones by about **4.0 to 1**.
- The majority sit in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area of Fulton, Douglas, Fayette, Walton and Cobb counties.
- Researchers projected, based on Aterio data, that by 2030 the average data center in Georgia would be rated at approximately **68 MW**.

| Development stage | Data centers (Aterio estimate) |
|---|---|
| Active | 63 |
| Under construction | 35 |
| Announced | 249 |

*Source: Carl Vinson Institute of Government (Aterio data), December 2025*

A second count, from the Data Center Map listings in a Pew Research Center chart, uses different categories. It lists Georgia with **235** data centers: **94** currently operating and **141** planned. The planned category includes data centers listed as under construction, planned or land banked, and the listings were accessed Feb. **19**, 2026.

 Currently operating vs Planned · Source: Pew Research Center (Data Center Map), February 2026      Pew Research Center · 2026 Data Centers by State, Operating and Planned (count) Currently operating vs Planned    Currently operating  Planned          400 320 240 160 80 0   398  287  296  170  277  54  139  123  94  141  166  57   Virginia Texas California Illinois Georgia Ohio  Currently operating · 398 Planned · 287 Currently operating · 296 Planned · 170 Currently operating · 277 Planned · 54 Currently operating · 139 Planned · 123 Currently operating · 94 Planned · 141 Currently operating · 166 Planned · 57   SOURCE Pew Research Center (Data Center Map), February 2026    View the data| State | Currently operating | Planned |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 398 | 287 |
| Texas | 296 | 170 |
| California | 277 | 54 |
| Illinois | 139 | 123 |
| Georgia | 94 | 141 |
| Ohio | 166 | 57 |







### About This Data

- Compiled from 12 publications: the state’s tax incentive evaluation and its audit summary, 2 PSC releases, 3 Georgia Power releases, 1 Amazon announcement, and CBRE, JLL, Pew Research Center and Epoch AI data.
- Sources date from January 2025 to October 2026.
- Only state agencies, the regulator, the utility, companies and independent research firms qualified; paid market-research reports were excluded.
- Figures are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when sources publish new editions.

### How many data centers are in Georgia?

Georgia is estimated to have **63** active data centers, **35** under construction and **249** announced as of December 2025, based on Aterio data. Data Center Map listings count **94** currently operating and **141** planned. The two counts use different categories, so neither is a correction of the other. National totals sit in the [largest data centers in the US](/largest-data-centers-us/) ranking.

## Atlanta Data Center Market Capacity

- Atlanta emerged as North America’s most active construction market for the first time, with nearly **2,900 MW** under construction, overtaking Northern Virginia.
- Atlanta held **1,803.2 MW** of inventory in CBRE Research’s Q2 2026 data, with available capacity of about **1.6%** of that total.
- Capacity under construction is about **1.6 times** the existing Atlanta inventory.
- Atlanta hit record absorption of **918 MW** in just six months, JLL reported.
- In the Atlanta metro area, data center absorption reached approximately **706 MW** in 2024, a figure the state’s tax evaluation cites from Georgia Cities.
- Northern Virginia remained the country’s largest market by inventory, at **4,496.5 MW**.
- The [data centers in Virginia](/data-centers-in-virginia/) market is the yardstick Atlanta’s construction pipeline is now measured against.

 INVENTORY · Source: CBRE Research, Q2 2026   INVENTORY    CBRE Research · Q2 2026 Data Center Inventory by Market, Q2 2026 (MW)         Northern Virginia  4,496.5 Atlanta  1,803.2 Dallas-Fort Worth  1,432.8 Phoenix  1,069.2 Chicago  910.6 Silicon Valley  509.2 Hillsboro, OR  491.4 New York/Tri-State  190.0  0 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K   SOURCE CBRE Research, Q2 2026    View the data| Market | Value (MW) |
|---|---|
| Northern Virginia | 4,496.5 |
| Atlanta | 1,803.2 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 1,432.8 |
| Phoenix | 1,069.2 |
| Chicago | 910.6 |
| Silicon Valley | 509.2 |
| Hillsboro, OR | 491.4 |
| New York/Tri-State | 190.0 |





### How much data center capacity does Atlanta have?

Atlanta had **1,803.2 MW** of data center inventory and **29.5 MW** of available capacity in CBRE Research’s Q2 2026 data, with nearly **2,900 MW** under construction. Inventory measures capacity already built, while the construction figure shows what is coming next. Wider [data center capacity and capex](/data-center-statistics/) figures follow the same split.

## Recent Developments

- **August 26, 2026:** Georgia Power said its contract to serve OpenAI’s Effingham County project was approved in the PSC regulatory process, and raised its residential savings projection to **$180 per year**.
- **August 11, 2026:** JLL’s midyear report said Atlanta hit record absorption of **918 MW** in just six months.
- **July 22, 2026:** Georgia Power said OpenAI is expected to need approximately **3,200 MW** for its new facility and agreed to provide up to **1,000 MW** of flexible demand response.
- **Q2 2026:** Atlanta emerged as North America’s most active construction market for the first time, with nearly **2,900 MW** under construction, according to CBRE Research.
- **April 23, 2026:** Georgia Power asked the PSC to approve an RFP to procure **2,000 to 6,000** MW of new dispatchable capacity for 2032 through 2033.

## Georgia Power Large-Load Pipeline

- **32** large-load customers have committed to receiving approximately **15,600 MW** of electric service from Georgia Power, with **21** projects under construction.
- That commitment is about **8.7 times** Atlanta’s **1,803.2 MW** operating inventory.
- Georgia Power’s contract with OpenAI for the Effingham County project includes **3,200 MW** of new demand, about one-fifth the size of the approximately **15,600 MW** Georgia Power reported as committed in April 2026.
- The OpenAI agreement runs **25** years, and Georgia Power can reduce energy delivered to the facility during certain times.
- Georgia Power has stated that it may need to add up to **10,000 MW** of new generation capacity, with approximately **80%** of that expansion attributed to anticipated data center load.
- Georgia’s committed load is one regional slice of [data center energy consumption](/data-center-energy-consumption-statistics/), where most published estimates are national.

| Measure | Megawatts | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Committed large load, 32 customers | approximately 15,600 | Georgia Power |
| New generation approved by the PSC | 9,885 | Georgia Public Service Commission |
| OpenAI Effingham County new demand | 3,200 | Georgia Power |
| OpenAI flexible demand response | up to 1,000 | Georgia Power |
| Dispatchable capacity sought for 2032 to 2033 | 2,000 to 6,000 | Georgia Power |

*Source: Georgia Power, 2026; Georgia Public Service Commission, 2025*

> **By the numbers:** Georgia Power reports **32** large-load customers committed to approximately **15,600 MW**, with **21** projects under construction. The PSC approved **9,885 megawatts** of new Georgia Power energy, most of it to serve new large customers such as data centers. Contracted load ramps up over years, so the two figures measure different things.

### How much power have data centers contracted from Georgia Power?

Georgia Power says **32** large-load customers have committed to approximately **15,600 MW** of electric service. Georgia Power’s contract with OpenAI, filed with the Georgia PSC in July 2026, includes **3,200 MW** of new demand. Not every large-load customer is a data center, so 32 caps the number of data center customers in that total, not the number of facilities.

## Georgia PSC Rulings on Data Center Power

- The Georgia Public Service Commission voted unanimously to approve a rule letting Georgia Power bill new customers using more than **100 megawatts** on terms beyond those used for standard customers. The [PSC’s large-load rule release](https://psc.ga.gov/site/assets/files/8617/media_advisory_data_centers_rule_1-23-2025.pdf) sets out the terms.
- Data centers would pay for upstream generation, transmission and distribution costs as construction of the data centers progresses.
- The rule allows minimum billing requirements for high-load customers, and every new contract in the **100 MW** usage category must be submitted to the PSC for review.
- The PSC does not approve data center construction, location or operation.
- Georgia Power agreed to financially backstop new projects in 2029, 2030 and 2031, beyond the existing rate freeze through the end of 2028.

| Date | PSC action | Key term |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2025 | Large-load rule approved unanimously | New customers using more than 100 MW billed on terms beyond standard; longer contracts, from 5-year to 15-year |
| July 30, 2025 | Georgia Power files for certification | 9,885 MW of new power production |
| December 19, 2025 | Stipulated agreement approved 5-0 | Georgia Power backstops new projects in 2029, 2030 and 2031 |

*Source: Georgia Public Service Commission, 2025*

## Data Centers and Georgia Power Bills

- Georgia Power expects savings for the typical residential customer to rise from its December 2025 commitment of **$102 per year** to **$180 per year**.
- The projected annual saving rose about **76%**.
- The company says the increased savings are the result of projected incremental revenue from new large-load customers.
- The PSC says Georgia Power’s backstop creates **$8.50 per month** of downward pressure on the average household using **1,000 kWh** of electricity.

| Projection | Value | Made by |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly savings from 2029, typical 1,000 kWh customer | at least $15 | Georgia Power |
| Annual savings, December 2025 commitment | $102 | Georgia Power |
| Annual savings, current projection | $180 | Georgia Power |
| Customer savings per year | approximately $950 million | Georgia Power |
| Customer benefits, 2029 to 2031 | $2.847 billion | Georgia Power |
| Downward pressure from the backstop, 1,000 kWh household | $8.50 per month | Georgia Public Service Commission |

*Source: Georgia Power, 2026; Georgia Public Service Commission, 2025*

> **Worth noting:** PSC staff expressed concerns that data centers and Georgia Power had not signed contracts for all of the data centers expected to be served by the **9,885 MW**, and that new facilities could become stranded assets. Under the agreement, Georgia Power would financially backstop the expected new power load, preventing the possibility of stranded assets.

### Will data centers raise Georgia Power bills?

The PSC says the approved agreement protects existing ratepayers from increased rates even if the data center projections do not come to fruition. Georgia Power projects savings of at least **$15 per month** from 2029 for a typical residential customer using **1,000 kilowatt-hours** a month. Both are projections that depend on large-load contracts being signed and served.

## Georgia Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Cost

- The Institute estimated forgone state tax revenue of **$474.2 million** in FY 2025, according to the Department of Audits and Accounts [exemption summary](https://www.audits2.ga.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Data-Center-Tax-Exemption-Summary-Revised.pdf).
- Estimated gross forgone state tax revenue ranges from **$18.3 million** in 2018 to **$866.7 million** in 2030.
- The 2030 projection is about **83%** above the FY 2025 estimate.
- The net fiscal impact of the exemption ranges from **-$17.0 million** in 2018 to **-$780.2 million** in 2030.
- Counting only the economic activity attributed to the exemption, after 70% of activity is treated as happening anyway, additional state tax revenue in FY 2025 from data center construction totaled **$34.6 million** and from operations **$6.9 million**.

 VALUES IN $ · Forgone state tax revenue ($) vs Net fiscal impact ($) · Source: Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table A), December 2025   VALUES IN $    Carl Vinson Institute of Government · 2025 Georgia Data Center Tax Break: Cost and Net Impact ($) Forgone state tax revenue ($) vs Net fiscal impact ($)    Forgone state tax revenue ($)  Net fiscal impact ($)        1B 500M 0 -500M -1B          866,728,696         -780,236,891   2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030    SOURCE Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table A), December 2025    View the data| Year | Forgone state tax revenue ($) | Net fiscal impact ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 450,575,485 | -416,568,865 |
| 2025 | 474,182,904 | -432,641,337 |
| 2026 | 625,123,551 | -573,981,805 |
| 2027 | 761,583,136 | -702,648,623 |
| 2028 | 789,148,351 | -720,207,999 |
| 2029 | 850,391,015 | -772,965,277 |
| 2030 | 866,728,696 | -780,236,891 |







Increased state tax collections are reduced by **70%**, representing the assumption that 70% of data center activity would have occurred without the tax incentive. After that adjustment, collections from construction and equipment reach **$48,006,722** in 2030 and collections from operations **$38,485,083**.

 From construction and equipment vs From operations · Source: Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table A), December 2025     Carl Vinson Institute of Government · 2025 Georgia Added State Tax Revenue, 2024 to 2030 ($) From construction and equipment vs From operations    From construction and equipment ($)  From operations ($)          50M 40M 30M 20M 10M 0          48,006,722         38,485,083   2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030    SOURCE Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table A), December 2025    View the data| Year | From construction and equipment ($) | From operations ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30,816,240 | 3,190,380 |
| 2025 | 34,618,407 | 6,923,160 |
| 2026 | 40,041,007 | 11,100,739 |
| 2027 | 45,391,626 | 13,542,888 |
| 2028 | 46,043,737 | 22,896,615 |
| 2029 | 48,221,358 | 29,204,379 |
| 2030 | 48,006,722 | 38,485,083 |







> **Key finding:** In the Department of Audits and Accounts summary, the Institute determined that **30%** of data centers in Georgia could be attributed to the tax exemption. Applying that share to all data center activity, the credit resulted in **8,505** jobs and **$1.0 billion** in value added to the state economy from construction.

### How much does the Georgia data center tax exemption cost?

The Institute estimated forgone state tax revenue of **$474.2 million** in FY 2025. It projects the gross forgone revenue reaching **$866.7 million** in 2030, as data centers accumulate in Georgia. The added state tax collections are not high enough to offset the forgone revenue, so the fiscal impact is negative.

## Georgia Data Center Tax Exemption Rules

- Georgia’s data center tax exemption was enacted in 2018 via House Bill (HB) 696.
- The exemption was previously slated to sunset in 2028, but it was extended to 2033 due to passage of HB 1291.
- A 2024 proposal, HB 1192, sought to pause the issuance of new tax exemption certificates for data centers, and it was ultimately vetoed.
- Based on a review of a small number of data center projects in metro Atlanta, the Institute found that a “representative” complex with three buildings had a value of more than **$2 billion**, that at the average millage rate its tax bill would be **$33.6 million**, and that **$5.9 million** would be abated.

| County population | Minimum jobs, 2018 to 2021 | Minimum jobs, 2022 to 2033 | Minimum investment, 2018 to 2021 | Minimum investment, 2022 to 2033 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30,000 | 20 | 5 | $100 million | $25 million |
| 30,000 to 50,000 | 20 | 10 | $150 million | $75 million |
| Over 50,000 | 20 | 25 | $250 million | $250 million |

*Source: Carl Vinson Institute of Government (GA Code § 48-8-3), December 2025*

The exemption’s cost started small, at **$18,342,560** in forgone state tax revenue in 2018, and reached **$234,351,535** by 2023. The 2023 figure is about **12.8 times** the 2018 one.

 FORGONE STATE TAX REVENUE · Source: Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table A), December 2025   FORGONE STATE TAX REVENUE    Carl Vinson Institute of Government · 2025 Georgia Forgone State Tax Revenue, 2018 to 2023 ($)          240M 180M 120M 60M 0   $18,342,560 2018  $27,034,780 2019  $10,259,968 2020  $114,388,603 2021  $226,922,660 2022  $234,351,535 2023    SOURCE Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table A), December 2025    View the data| Year | Value ($) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $18,342,560 |
| 2019 | $27,034,780 |
| 2020 | $10,259,968 |
| 2021 | $114,388,603 |
| 2022 | $226,922,660 |
| 2023 | $234,351,535 |





## Georgia Data Center Jobs and Economic Impact

- Institute researchers projected permanent, full-time employment in data centers in Georgia to be **1,873** in 2025.
- For each direct job in a data center, **1.9** indirect and induced jobs are created across the state.
- The value-added impact of annual operations to the state is **$823.3 million**.
- IMPLAN estimates the direct labor income of data center employees at **$262.3 million**.

 JOBS · Source: Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table 4), December 2025   JOBS    Carl Vinson Institute of Government · 2025 Georgia Data Center Operations Jobs by Impact Type, 2025 (jobs)         Direct  1,873 Indirect  1,815 Induced  1,783  0 400 800 1.2K 1.6K 2K   SOURCE Carl Vinson Institute of Government estimates (Table 4), December 2025    View the data| Impact type | Jobs |
|---|---|
| Direct | 1,873 |
| Indirect | 1,815 |
| Induced | 1,783 |





Applying its **30%** attribution share, the Institute credits the exemption with **8,505** construction jobs and **1,641** operations jobs. [Data center construction](/data-center-construction-statistics/) jobs end when a building is finished, so the operations figure is the lasting one. National [data center jobs](/data-center-jobs-statistics/) figures use different methods.

## Major Data Center Projects in Georgia

- Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta is an operational AI data center hosting an estimated **769,000** H100-equivalents of AI compute, according to Epoch AI.
- QTS built the campus with Microsoft as the tenant.
- Fairwater’s estimated **636 MW** of IT power equals about **35.3%** of Atlanta’s CBRE-tracked inventory.
- AWS has announced plans to invest an estimated **$11 billion** to expand its infrastructure in Georgia to support [cloud computing](/cloud-computing-statistics/) and AI technologies.

| Project | Measure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta | IT power | 636 MW | Epoch AI estimate |
| Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta | Capital cost | $24.1 billion | Epoch AI estimate |
| OpenAI, Effingham County | New demand under Georgia Power contract | 3,200 MW | Georgia Power |
| OpenAI, Effingham County | Flexible demand response | up to 1,000 MW | Georgia Power |
| AWS Georgia expansion | Planned investment | estimated $11 billion | Amazon |
| AWS Georgia expansion | Expected new high-skilled jobs | at least 550 | Amazon |

*Source: Epoch AI, October 2026; Georgia Power, 2026; Amazon, January 2025*

### What is the largest data center in Georgia?

Epoch AI estimates Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta at **636 MW** of IT power and a capital cost of **$24.1 billion**. OpenAI’s Effingham County contract includes **3,200 MW** of new demand. A contracted demand figure and an estimated IT power figure are different measures, so the answer depends on which one a reader uses.

## Conclusion

Georgia Power counts **32** large-load customers committed to approximately **15,600 MW** of electric service, about **8.7 times** Atlanta’s operating inventory. On the tax side, the Institute estimated forgone state tax revenue of **$474.2 million** in FY 2025, while finding that **70%** of data centers would exist in the absence of the exemption.

Georgia Power is now seeking **2,000 to 6,000** MW of new dispatchable capacity. How much of the committed load signs contracts under the PSC’s large-load rule will decide whether those plants get built, and whether the bill projections hold.