Residents continue pushback on OpenAI data center at latest meeting

Aug. 29, 2026, 7:10 p.m. ET

• Over 100 Effingham County residents attended a board meeting to voice opposition to a proposed OpenAI data center.
• Public concerns included a lack of transparency, potential strain on infrastructure, and accountability for OpenAI.
• Despite resident opposition, the county manager stated the project will proceed if it meets all legal requirements.

The Effingham County Board of Commissioners chambers were at overflow level Saturday morning.

More than 100 residents flocked to the county administrative offices to air grievances, ask questions and hear a comprehensive presentation on the recently announced OpenAI data center proposal in the county.

The meeting lasted four and a half hours, with three of those hours devoted to public comment, during which residents overwhelmingly opposed the proposal. Public commenters cited concerns about transparency, infrastructure demands and OpenAI's accountability.

“I don’t feel our community will be the same after this,” said resident Raymond Carver.

The meeting provided a formal forum for residents to address the board specifically about the proposed data center. The workshop also came just one day after U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock toured the project site and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the project's planning.