Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, speaks at the organization's "State of Energy" event on May 28, 2026. Credit: Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Georgia Chamber launches initiative to prepare communities for data centers

During the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s first “State of Energy” event, the organization announced a new initiative: the “Data Center-Ready” designation.

The initiative will launch this summer, and the goal is to assist communities that want data centers in assessing whether they have the proper infrastructure and workforce, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. 

Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark said at the event that the designation could open up more communities to have data centers, which will in turn help the high demand for data storage.

“We’re not saying that every community wants a data center, but we want to make sure that those that do are following the right process, are transparent, and can work with all partners that might be interested,” he said. 

Data centers have been a controversial topic in Georgia and nationwide due to their high energy use and concerns about their impact on local ecosystems and communities. However, supporters say that the revenue data centers can generate could benefit local communities, and steps can be taken to mitigate the environmental concerns.

Another initiative announced at the event was the Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance. The Chamber said more details about both initiatives will be released in the coming weeks.