DALTON, Ga. — Construction continues on a large AI data center campus in Dalton, nearly a year after Whitfield County approved rezoning that drew strong opposition from nearby residents.
During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Donald Trump addressed concerns that AI data centers could strain local power grids and increase electric bills.
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., applaud. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs,” Trump said.
It remains unclear whether the Dalton facility will include on-site power generation.
Rezoning of the 173-acre project near Old Tilton Road was approved in March 2025 after a contentious public meeting where dozens of residents spoke against converting agricultural land to heavy manufacturing:
At that meeting, families who have lived in the area for generations warned about noise, traffic and quality-of-life impacts.
“We are now a sixth generation on the farm,” one resident told commissioners at the time.
Another spoke on behalf of his terminally ill father.
“You’re trying to put these plants in his front yard,” he said. “We’re fourth generation. We’ve lived here our whole lives.”
Several speakers shared concerns about a constant hum from cooling systems, pointing to experiences with cryptocurrency facilities in neighboring states.
“If you’re dealing with a postage stamp you’ve got a hum problem,” one resident said during the meeting. “If you’re talking about the size facility that is being discussed, you’ve got a monster.”
Despite the pushback, commissioners voted to approve the zoning change.
Since then, development officials have emphasized the economic upside.
Carl Campbell of the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority previously told commissioners the company has invested heavily in the community and is spending approximately $5 million per month on electricity locally.
“All that money from the power generation helps our city,” Campbell said at the time.
Planning documents show required buffers between the data center and nearby properties, including undisturbed vegetative areas. County officials noted that ordinances can be amended if needed in the future.
As construction advances, the project now intersects with a broader national debate.
Read the planning commission’s full proposal below:
We have reached out to Dalton Utilities and Core Scientific for a comment on this story, which we’ll share here if and when we hear back.
Nearly a year after that public meeting, the dirt is moving, the steel is rising, and the debate over impact versus investment continues.
Depend on us to keep you posted.
