Georgia family says they're forced to sell home to help power AI data centers: "It's theft"

Key Points:

• Georgia Power plans to build a new transmission line to support increasing electricity demand, with 70-80% of the power intended for data centers and the rest for residential and commercial use, requiring acquisition of over 300 land parcels including homes.
• Homeowners like Ansley Brown feel pressured to sell their family properties, which they view as generational wealth, or face losing them through eminent domain, a legal process allowing the state to seize land for public projects with compensation.
• Brown and others accuse Georgia Power of unfairly targeting small landowners, describing the process as theft and bullying, while the utility insists eminent domain is a last resort and claims to conduct negotiations responsibly and transparently.
• The controversy highlights tensions between infrastructure growth driven by the AI and data center boom and the impact on rural communities, with affected residents seeking apologies and recognition from the utility company.
• Georgia Power declines to disclose data center customers for security reasons but emphasizes its efforts to facilitate the land acquisition process amid rising power demands.