Georgia Today: Data center preparation; Georgia's storm resilience; World Cup traffic

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the Georgia chamber helps cities prepare for data centers. Federal budget cuts hurt Georgia's storm resilience. And if you think Atlanta traffic is bad now, wait until the World Cup starts. 

Johann Weber: Come in a little earlier those days, avoid leaving, especially during that 2-4 window. Maybe you can adjust your schedule or flex your schedule. 

Peter Biello: Today is Friday, May 29. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Federal budget cuts are putting a strain on cities as they prepare for storm season this year. GPB's Jillian Magtoto has more. 

Jillian Magtoto: Hurricane Helene caused over 1.5 million power outages when it swept through Georgia in 2024. A week after making landfall, a few hundred thousand homes were still without power. But Savannah resident Marc Thomas' lights were still on. 

Marc Thomas: Our solar power kept us going with just minor discomforts through the whole period. We were able to take care of ourselves and help some of our neighbors. 

Jillian Magtoto: The panels were made possible through the Georgia Bright Program that began providing free solar panels to low-income residents in 2023. Formerly funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, it was cut last year, as the Trump administration canceled subsidies for renewable energy projects. That put Savannahians in a tricky spot, says Mayor Van Johnson. 

Van Johnson: It happened and then it went away because some of the federal funding went away. We have to recognize that times are changing, we have to remain engaged. 

Jillian Magtoto: Johnson says he hopes at some point federal dollars are reinstated, but in the meantime, he will work with nonprofits to focus on smaller fixes, like weatherization and home energy audits. Finding funding for more expensive items like solar panels will require bringing bigger players to the table. But for now:

Van Johnson: We know if anything happens over the summer, we're all going to show up at Mark Thomas's house because he has power and we want everybody to have the power. 

Jillian Magtoto Many in Savannah might still be relying on their solar-powered neighbors during storm season this year. For GPB News, I'm Jillian Magtoto in Savannah. 

Story 2:

Peter Biello: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is launching a new initiative to help communities who want data centers prepare to host them. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports. 

Sarah Kallis: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce "data center-ready" designation launches this summer and will help communities decide if they have the right access to fiber, water systems, workforce and land use to support data centers as well as the proper zoning. Georgia Chamber president and CEO Chris Clark says the designation can help shoulder the high demand for data storage, which is needed for artificial intelligence, search engines and other digital products. 

Chris Clark We're not saying that every community wants a data center, but we wanna make sure that those that do are following the right process, are transparent, and can work with all partners that might be interested. 

Sarah Kallis: Data centers have received pushback from both sides of the aisle because of their tax on local ecosystems and high energy use. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta. 

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Georgia Power's nearly 2.5 million residential customers will see a slight reduction in power bills after the state agency that regulates the utility approved rate changes. The Georgia Public Service Commission's decision yesterday will cut the typical residential customers bill by about $4 a month. Consumer and environmental groups acknowledge the rate reduction, but said it masks a larger problem. Bob Sherrier of the Southern Environmental Law Center told commissioners, data centers aren't paying their way entirely. 

Bob Sherrier: The data center customers pay their fuel costs, but no offset is provided to the rising costs that they are causing other customers to bear.

Peter Biello: Others question the company's plans on fuel purchasing, transportation costs, hedging practices and other concerns. The new rates go into effect in June. 

Story 4:

Peter Biello: As Atlanta prepares to host eight matches in the FIFA World Cup beginning in two weeks, transportation officials are advising commuters to have a game plan for traffic. The city's congestion can be outrageous on a normal day. Now add tens of thousands of visitors, watch parties and fan festivals, and even the most savvy commuters could face gridlock. The Atlanta Regional Commission's Johann Weber says most of the matches are scheduled to begin at noon with the worst traffic impacts a few hours later. 

Johann Weber: Come in a little earlier those days. Avoid leaving, especially during that 2 to 4 p.m. window. Maybe you can adjust your schedule or flex your schedule. 

Peter Biello: He also expects road clogging surprises, like dignitary motorcades, officials advise using public transit. 

Story 5: 

Peter Biello: The U.S. Men's National Soccer Team arrived in Georgia this week to train for the World Cup at their new 200-acre facility in Fayetteville, South of Atlanta. GPB's men, Andrews, has more from the players. 

Amanda Andrews: Team USA began training at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center Tuesday. Players shared their excitement about having a home facility and the opportunities it provides for the next generation of athletes. U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams says he's grateful to be training at same place as the youth national teams. 

Tyler Adams As a youth national team player, if I could have ever had the opportunity to be even close to the senior team, that would have been really special because that's your dream. That's why you want to play for the national team. So I think that's important with how they set it up and the plans moving forward that it's, like, "This is what you're working towards and this is how you can achieve it."

Amanda Andrews: The U.S. Men's team will play a friendly match against Senegal Saturday before their first World Cup game in Los Angeles, June 12. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews. 

Story 6:

Peter Biello: A court investigation found that a federal judge had an affair with a police officer, including intimate sexual contact in chambers overheard by staff. The judge, identified by Bloomberg Law as Eleanor Ross, remains on the bench with a quote, "private reprimand." The Atlanta-based 11th Circuit issued the reprimand in February and it was affirmed last week. The Atlanta Police Department has launched an investigation to determine if the officer is an employee. Bloomberg also identified the police officer as Atlanta Police Department Deputy Chief Kelly Collier. 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: Emory University has selected a longtime administrator to serve as its next president. The university said yesterday that its executive vice president and chief operating officer Christopher Agostini will lead the school beginning in September. He's the permanent replacement for former president Gregory Fenves, who stepped down from the position last year. 

Story 8:

Peter Biello: In sports, the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, the Columbus Clingstones, will take the field for the first of three games as the Columbus Scrambled Dogs tomorrow. The alternate identity pays homage to a unique Columbus food tradition. Long associated with eateries like Dinglewood Pharmacy, the scrambled dog typically includes a chopped hot dog in a bun with chili, pickles, onions and oyster crackers. The game against the Biloxi Shuckers at Synovus Park will feature specially designed jerseys and entertainment. The Clingstones also will play as the Scrambled Dogs on July 31 and Sept. 5. And in Major League Baseball, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his fourth career grand slam and Chris Sale struck out eight in five innings against his former team as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-2 yesterday. Acuña cleared the Green Monster after pinch hitter Mike Yastremski, who is the grandson of Red Sox great Carl Yastremski, drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 2-all tie in the sixth inning. Sale improved to 3-0 against the Red Sox since Boston traded its one-time ace to Atlanta before the 2024 season. Michael Harris II and Ozzy Albies also homered for Atlanta, which has the best record in all the majors at 38-19. The Braves face the Reds in Cincinnati tonight for the first of a three-game road series. 

Outro:

Peter Biello: And that is a wrap on a busy week of news. Thank you so much for choosing Georgia Today as your way to stay on top of all things, Georgia news. You can find the latest headlines at gpb.org/news, as well as updates to the stories you heard on the podcast today, and we're going to be back in your feed on Monday as well. So make sure you subscribe to this podcast. When you do, we will pop up in your feed automatically Monday afternoon. And as always, your feedback is welcome by email. The address is georgiatoday@gpb.org. We hope you stay dry this weekend. The rain is here and there as it has been for a few weekends now. I'm Peter Biello; thank you again for listening. We'll see you next week. 

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news