Athens-Clarke County GA data center ordinance (April 2026)
Athens-Clarke County, GA — Permanent Data Center Zoning Ordinance (April 2026): Special-Use Review, Heavy Industrial, Closed-Loop Cooling, On-Site Clean Energy
Athens-Clarke County, GA · Athens-Clarke County (GA) Mayor and Commission, Data Center Zoning Ordinance (adopted April 2026; replaces temporary moratorium)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- April 15, 2026
- Applies to
- Data center developers and operators seeking approval to construct or operate a data center in unincorporated and incorporated Athens-Clarke County, GA
- Enforced by
- Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission (special-use approval body); Athens-Clarke County Planning Department
Athens-Clarke County, Georgia — the state's unified city-county government home to the University of Georgia — replaced its temporary data center ban with a permanent zoning ordinance in April 2026. Under the ordinance, any data center requires individual special-use approval from the full Mayor and Commission (no administrative permit), must be in a heavy industrial zone, must use a closed-loop cooling system to reduce water consumption, and must supply on-site clean energy if it draws more than 5 megawatts of power. The ordinance lifts the prior moratorium but imposes substantive, permanent standards rather than allowing unrestricted development.
Who is protected: Athens-Clarke County, GA residents from unrestricted data center development; county taxpayers from unmanaged infrastructure cost-shifting
Legal detail
Athens-Clarke County (GA) Mayor and Commission adopted permanent data center zoning regulations in April 2026 (enacted approximately April 7-15, 2026), replacing a prior temporary moratorium. Key requirements: (1) data centers are a conditional/special use requiring ACC Mayor and Commission case-by-case approval, not an administrative permit; (2) restricted to heavy industrial (HI) zones; (3) mandatory closed-loop air conditioning system (reduces water use vs. open cooling towers); (4) facilities consuming >5 MW of electricity must provide on-site clean energy. Athens-Clarke is a consolidated city-county (unified government) incorporating all of Clarke County, GA. University of Georgia campus is within the jurisdiction. The ordinance applies to the full unified government territory.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Athens-Clarke County, GA |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | April 15, 2026 |
| Citation | Athens-Clarke County (GA) Mayor and Commission, Data Center Zoning Ordinance (adopted April 2026; replaces temporary moratorium) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Permit denial / non-approval for non-compliant applications |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Athens-Clarke County data center ban lifted, replaced with ordinance — WUGA Georgia Public Radio |
More AI rules in Athens-Clarke County, GA
- Athens-Clarke County GA Data Center Regulations · In effect
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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