Port Wentworth just approved zoning rules for data centers despite unanimous resident opposition at the meeting.
The ordinance doesn’t greenlight a specific facility yet, but it lays the groundwork for future projects by defining data centers and setting setbacks, noise studies, and utility requirements.
City staff highlighted water and electricity use, underlining that power and cooling will be central friction points if GPU-heavy AI builds show up later.
Residents pushed back hard on more industrialization, truck traffic, and noise, signaling strong social and political risk for hyperscale or AI-focused data centers in this corridor.
Only one council member voted no and asked to delay, which suggests local government is currently more receptive to economic development arguments than community concerns.
For AI infra planners, this looks like a jurisdiction willing to host data centers but under scrutiny on energy, noise, and siting near neighborhoods.
The article is worth a read for understanding how local politics and permitting are evolving for potential AI-capable data center sites.
Source: Port Wentworth passes ordinance for data centers | WSAV-TV
