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ConstructConnect Chief Economist: Electrification of economy continues driving demand for power projects
A proposal, dubbed Project Springbank, was submitted to Georgia planning officials to build a $4.5 billion data center in Bartow County.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Atlas Development LLC’s project involves constructing six buildings totaling 2.27 million square feet.
The proposed site, located about an hour northwest of Atlanta, would require rezoning from agricultural to industrial use. Construction could be completed by late 2031, according to recently filed preconstruction planning documents with the state, if approved.
Water and Power Demand by Data Centers
Data Centers draw significant electric and water resources to power and cool computer equipment, such as servers, which must be cooled to maintain performance.
Project Springbank officials from Atlas Development indicated closed-loop cooling systems would be used to minimize water use. There is also the question of electrical needs for the site. The Atlas Development proposal did not include how those needs would be met.
Electrification of Economy
Michael Guckes, ConstructConnect's Chief Economist, said, “The electrification of the economy will continue to drive significant demand for power generation and infrastructure projects.”
Guckes points to three factors driving electrification in his 2025 construction economy forecast, “The growth of artificial intelligence, the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, and the growing reliance on electric appliances and devices.” Guckes expects these to further stimulate the need for electric generation and infrastructure construction in the coming years. [Read the forecast in The 2025 Construction Economy Yearbook]
A proposed Bartow County data center site map shows six buildings developers said would total 2.27 million square feet. Image: Bartow County
Second Recent Atlas Data Center Proposed in Georgia
ConstructConnect recently reported that Georgia is now one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the US. In 2024, Atlanta was the top city in the US for new facilities. As of mid-2024, data center construction had increased 76 percent in the Atlanta market compared to the same time in 2023.
Atlas Development is also behind another large-scale data center proposal in Georgia, the $17 billion Project Sail in Coweta County. Both projects highlight Georgia’s growing role as a market for building data centers. However, concerns about power and water demand and environmental impact have some state regulators and utilities considering changing data center policy.
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About ConstructConnect
Construction Starts Here™ at ConstructConnect, where our mission is to help the construction industry start every project on a solid foundation. A leading provider of software solutions for the preconstruction industry, ConstructConnect empowers commercial construction firms to streamline their workflows and maximize productivity. ConstructConnect operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000.
