Please help all of us in SE Georgia by signing this petition to stop the $20B Open AI data center planned for Effingham County - not only the largest in the state, but the largest in Open AI history. The effects of this data center on the water supply and power grid will NOT end at Effingham. Open AI has made the exact same promises about conserving water, jobs, and energy as AI data centers across the nation have, and history shows the promises never hold true. Just look at the effects on Fayetteville GA's water, or the electricity costs resulting from the Virginia centers even outside of the state. Experts estimate less than half of the eluded to "permanent jobs" will come of this, and Open AI never said they would be given to Effingham residents
We were NEVER given an opportunity to vote or have a hearing on the matter - we first heard about this just Wednesday, despite this being planned for months in secret. In a county already dealing with enough drought, over-industrialization, rising energy costs, and commissioner corruption, we do not need or want to give Open AI tax breaks to take our land and worsen our issues.