Georgia Power is acquiring residential properties, including a family's childhood home, to build a new transmission line primarily serving data centers. The utility estimates 70-80% of the line's power will support AI-driven data centers, with the remaining 20-30% allocated to residential and commercial demand. The project requires over 300 land parcels, including homes in rural Georgia.
Ansley Brown, whose family home is impacted, calls the process "theft," arguing that Georgia Power is displacing residents for corporate interests. Her mother agreed to sell after facing potential eminent domain proceedings, a legal process allowing land seizure for public projects. Brown criticizes the utility's impact on rural communities and wildlife.
Georgia Power spokesperson Holly Lovett insists eminent domain is a "last resort" and that the company has acted responsibly. The utility cites increasing demand outpacing existing grid capacity as justification for the expansion.