Georgia Today: Data center pollution; Fort Benning could get a nuclear reactor; Federal THC ban

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. On this podcast, we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. Coming up on today's episode, the growth of data centers is on the rise in Georgia and some residents are pushing back. Georgia's Fort Benning could be the site of a new nuclear reactor. And how will federal ban on THC products affect the Georgia hemp industry?

Joe Salome: There's gonna be a huge vacuum of individuals that can't find their relief. 

Orlando Montoya: Today is Monday, Nov. 24. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: The Georgia Department of Community Affairs last week adopted new rules that will require proposals for data centers to be subject to state review. The Current in Savannah is reporting data centers now will be included in what counts as a development of regional impact. That process will allow those close to the development of a data center the opportunity to comment before development happens. That's according to DCA Deputy Commissioner Rusty Haywood, who spoke to the DCA board. Developers will be required to estimate how much water and electricity their data center will need. The new rules apply to data centers of at least 500,000 square feet outside of Atlanta. 

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: Clean air advocates say unchecked growth in Georgia's data center industry could harm public health, especially for people in metro Atlanta where air quality has worsened. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more. 

Ellen Eldridge: Five data center projects are ongoing, and more are proposed — all in the city of South Fulton. They're being built in anticipation of growth in artificial intelligence. Kiya Stanford is with the advocacy group Moms Clean Air Force in Georgia. 

Kiya Stanford: And there's also a 1 million-square-foot one that's being proposed in South DeKalb. If you look at the demographics of these regions, they have in common that they're primarily communities of color and that's intentional. 

Ellen Eldridge: She says residents should attend local government meetings to share their concerns. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 4% of all electricity used nationwide powers these data centers. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge. 

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: Professional staff at Georgia's Public Service Commission say Georgia Power is vastly overestimating its need for new generation capacity because of the growth in data centers. The two separate staff reports conclude the company only needs about a third of the new electricity production the utility is requesting permission from the PSC to develop. That's because both reports say Georgia Power's forecasts for data center growth aren't coming to fruition. One report estimates that the revenue needed to build to the company's forecasts could add an additional $20 a month to the average household's power bill. 

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: The U.S. Army has selected Georgia's Fort Benning near Columbus as a potential site for a nuclear microreactor. The military base is one of nine potential locations for what the Army calls its next-generation nuclear power program. It stems from an executive order signed by President Trump in May directing the Army to set up a small modular reactor at a domestic military base by 2028 with goal of providing off-grid power and advancing nuclear technology. How many bases will get the reactors and when they'll be selected have yet to be announced. 

Story 5:

Orlando Montoya: Congress has set a deadline for a federal ban on most THC products made from hemp. GPB's Sarah Kallis explains how that could affect producers and consumers in Georgia. 

Sarah Kallis: The change was passed as part of the federal legislation to reopen the government. It would limit the level of THC legally allowed in a product at the federal level, effectively banning hemp-derived products with THC, including drinks, gummies, and Delta-8. Georgia consumers can currently buy these products as well as synthetic THC. Joe Salome, co-founder of the Georgia Hemp Company, says his business has seen an increase in customers trying to buy products in preparation for a ban. 

Joe Salome: There's gonna be a huge vacuum of individuals that can't find their relief. 

Sarah Kallis: The ban will go into effect in about a year, unless Congress or the Georgia Legislature pass legislation to loosen restrictions on THC. Proponents of the ban say that hemp-derived THC products are not regulated enough to ensure safety. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis. 

Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: The 1960s Black militant formerly known as H. Rap Brown has died in prison. After his leadership in the Black Panther movement, Brown converted to Islam, went by the name Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, and became an imam in Atlanta. In 2002, he was convicted of murder in the death of a Fulton County sheriff's deputy and sentenced to life in prison. His widow said the 82-year-old had been suffering from cancer and died Sunday at a federal medical center in North Carolina. 

Caption

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are the most common member of the cat family in North America and can be found all over the state of Georgia.

Credit: Ledger-Inquirer

Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: A woman on Jekyll Island sustained non-life-threatening injuries to her leg in an attack by a young bobcat on Sunday. Authorities say the woman transported herself to seek treatment at a nearby medical center, and the bobcat was killed and tested positive for rabies. Caleigh O'Keefe says she witnessed the attack, which took place at a mini golf course and sent people running toward a raised patio deck at a restaurant. 

Caleigh O'Keefe: There was a lot of screaming; I think a lot of the people on like the playground area didn't really know what was happening. There was just a bunch of people screaming that there was a bobcat and of course, the lady that got attacked told her kids to run. So they were running all through the mini golf place. 

Orlando Montoya: Bobcats were wild on Jekyll Island, but might have been exterminated by hunting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The predators came back about a decade ago, according to reports at the time, perhaps by crossing the island's 5-mile causeway. Authorities say the women attacked did nothing to provoke the bobcat. 

Story 8:

Orlando Montoya: In Georgia sports, the Atlanta Falcons snapped their five-game losing streak with a 24 to 10 win at New Orleans on Sunday. Quarterback Kirk Cousins enjoyed a bounce-back game in his renewed role as the team's starter, throwing for 199 yards and two touchdowns, showing he has more left in his career. Still, the Falcons remain a long way away from realizing their hopes of their first winning record and playoff season since 2017. Last night's victory brings them to 4 and 7. 

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. Very much glad that you downloaded us today. And if you'd like to learn more about the stories that we bring you on Georgia Today, visit GPB.org/news, and you'll find many of our stories there. If you haven't yet hit "subscribe" on this podcast, take a moment to do that now. It helps you and it helps us by keeping you current with us in your feed. We always enjoy feedback. Send us feedback to GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll talk to you again tomorrow. 

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