Data centers are beginning to drive significant electricity demand growth across the United States, raising questions about grid resiliency, power supply, and who will pay for the necessary energy infrastructure expansion. Moreover, many of these data centers are being developed and sited across states in the Southern United States, a region with a history of uneven economic growth where residents experience some of the highest levels of energy insecurity in the United States.
In this collaborative research project between scholars at Emory University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, researchers will conduct three mixed-method case studies examining the energy implications of data center growth in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. This analysis will capture state-level differences in the costs and benefits of data center siting decisions, as well as the impacts of data center expansion on local communities, improving or understanding of the energy-related economic, social, and policy dimension of data center development in these areas. Researchers will compare findings across the three states to generate regional insights and illuminate how different policy, utility, and regulatory contexts can shape data center development and resulting community and energy system impacts. A project Advisory Board will be assembled with representatives from community-based organizations across the three case study states to provide deeper local context and expertise. In addition to producing multiple academic outputs, the team will generate a range of materials aimed at informing community stakeholders.