COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -On Saturday, dozens of residents gathered on Broadway in Columbus to protest a proposed “hyper-scale” data center project known as Project Ruby. The facility would be built in rural Muscogee County.
The event was organized by “Keep It Rural Muscogee County,” a community group that has been raising concerns about the project. The peaceful demonstration included a march, speeches and signs carried by protesters of all ages.
Speakers highlighted several potential impacts they worry a large data center could have on the area, including:
- Strain on water resources and water quality
- Higher electric bills for local residents
- Pressure on local agriculture and rural land
One of the speakers, Aaron Bridwell, told the crowd he has worked as an engineer building data centers for the U.S. government. He argued that while projects like this can bring in significant money, he believes local communities rarely see the benefits…