Pins matching date:2026-01-20

Georgia HB 1059 (Rep. Derrick Jackson D-Tyrone) would have established a moratorium on new data center construction from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, plus a 14-member Data Center Impact Commission. The bill failed to advance during the 2026 legislative session, which ended in early April with Georgia lawmakers passing NO data center bills despite months of debate. The General Assembly left intact ~$2.5B/year in data center tax breaks even after a state report estimated Georgia would miss out on $2.5B in tax revenue in 2026. With no statewide restrictions, county commissions and planning boards remain the front line of defense, and Democrats are reportedly viewing the failure as an electoral gift heading into November 2026. By April 15-18, 2026, advocates reported that around 20 bills aimed at the data center industry introduced during the 2026 Georgia legislative session all failed to pass after the Senate adjourned without action. Failed measures included HB 1012, SB 408, and SB 410, along with HB 1059 (the Data Center Impact Assessment and Development Moratorium Act of 2026). Georgia's data center sales-tax exemption (projected to cost the state $2.5 billion in FY 2026) remains in effect through 2032.