- Ndubuisi Onwumere
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2026
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Sen. Nan Orrock Introduces Legislation to Sunset Tax Breaks for Freeloading Data Centers
Bill would advance the sunset date for the data center tax credits
Georgia lost $472 million in revenue in 2025 because of data center tax breaks
Georgia has 166 data centers, more than any neighboring state
Several counties and cities in Georgia have halted data center construction over concerns about energy and water usage
Atlanta, Ga. — Thursday, January 15, Senator Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) introduced Senate Bill 408 to put an end to the tax dollar giveaways to power-sucking data centers and their Big Tech bosses. The bill would sunset the data center equipment sales and use tax exemption.
The bill was cosponsored by Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Elena Parent (D-Decatur), Caucus Vice Chair Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta), and Senator Freddie Powell Sims (D-Dawson).
“These data centers do nothing but freeload off the backs of hard-working Georgians. They skip out on paying their fair share of taxes, drain our water resources, and feed off our power grid. We cannot afford corporate handouts while Georgians struggle to afford groceries, pay their rent, and keep their health insurance,” said Sen. Nan Orrock. “I’m introducing SB 408 because tax giveaways like these do nothing but encourage Big Tech to run up families’ bills. Our focus needs to be making life more affordable for everyday people, not more lucrative for those with deep pockets.”
Senate Bill 408 would:
Advance the sunset date for the Data Center Sales & Use Tax Exemption
Background
Data centers are controversial nationwide for the impact their power and water usage have on Americans’ utility bills and environmental concerns. Several counties and cities in Georgia, including Athens-Clarke County and LaGrange placed moratoriums on data center construction over such concerns.
The Data Center Sales & Use Tax Exemption was enacted in 2018 to incentivize data centers construction and operation in Georgia through tax breaks for construction materials and purchases of certain equipment. To qualify, data centers must meet a minimum threshold of investment in the facility and create a certain number of jobs.
In December 2025, the Republican-ran Public Service Commission approved a historic power expansion request from Georgia Power to meet the anticipated demand by future data centers. In November 2024, Democrats flipped two seats on the PSC; the victories are widely attributed to numerous rate hikes approved by the Republican-ran commission.
Click HERE to read more about Senate Bill 408.
Senator Nan Orrock is available for comment.
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