Port Wentworth residents push for data center moratorium

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WTOC) - Residents asked city leaders to pause data center approvals at Thursday’s city council meeting as a local petition calls for a temporary moratorium on new projects.

Data centers have become a divisive topic in city halls across the area. Residents and anti-data center organizations spoke during the meeting.

“This is a complex, technical, and nuisance industry that can negatively transform life for property owners adjacent to these facilities,” said Jeff Beauvais, a One Hundred Miles member.

Residents request temporary halt

Residents want city leaders to halt the idea of data centers in the community.

“We’re asking that we’re enacting a temporary moratorium on new data centers development approvals for a fine-period of time, to allow proper evaluation and planning to establish a temporary review committee to study and evaluate the impacts of data centers development within Port Wentworth,” said Patrick Donovan, a Port Wentworth resident.

In December 2025, city council voted to amend the zoning ordinance, approving data centers as allowable uses in industrial infrastructure and transportation zones.

“In our mind it felt like they opened the door to data centers to come here without doing much due diligence in any kind of significant way in my opinion,” Donovan said.

Donovan, who also serves on the planning and zoning board, said the city is rushing the process.

“I don’t think council is trying to hurt our community. What I think is that they are not doing the due diligence that they should do to understand how bad it is for our community,” Donovan said.

Thursday’s meeting was a regular council session, not a public hearing. Residents used public comment to press for the moratorium and present their petition to the council.