Markets / Atlanta
C&W 2026 Americas · Primary #2 · updated 2026-11-05
Atlanta + Georgia secondary
The construction lead is real, but the political floor just moved. A governor-elect promising a statewide pause, plus 50+ local moratoria in force across Georgia, put projects starting in 2028 and later at risk. Projects already under construction with Georgia Power contracts are the safe tier.
mixedGrid: Georgia Power (Southern Co.), Georgia EMCs; non-RTO (SERC)
CBRE H1 2026: #1 in North America for capacity under construction (2,882 MW) [Cushman & Wakefield, 2026 Global Data Center Market Comparison (Americas rankings) (2026-05); CBRE, North America Data Center Trends H1 2026 (2026-08)]
Power and the queue
- CBRE H1 2026: 1,803.2 MW inventory and 2,882 MW under construction, up 52.3% YoY. Atlanta passed Northern Virginia in construction for the first time. [CBRE, North America Data Center Trends H1 2026 (2026-08); CBRE press release: demand continues to outpace supply (H1 2026 market table) (2026-08)]
- Georgia PSC certified about 9.985 GW of new generation, around 80% of it expected to serve data centers, with Georgia Power backstopping costs through 2031. [Georgia PSC: Data Center Fact Sheet (Sep 2026) (2026-09)]
Notable projects owners where public
- Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta AI datacenter, operating since Oct 2025 and linked with Fairwater Wisconsin. [Microsoft: From Wisconsin to Atlanta, Microsoft connects datacenters to build its first AI (2025-11)]
- Project Sail, Coweta County: about 900 MW (Prologis/Atlas), approved Apr 2026, per an aggregator.uncertain [Apollo Technical: Data Centers in Georgia, 2026 map and project tracker (aggregator) (2026-11-05)]
- Stargate 'Project Camellia' (Georgia): an approved 3.2 GW power contract running 2028 to 2032, still at the contracted stage.uncertain [Stargate.how: October status check, where every Stargate site stands (2026-10-18)]
Regulatory posture incentives, moratoria, zoning, water, large-load rules
- DeKalb County: the moratorium on new or expanded data center applications was extended Jul 7, 2026 to Mar 30, 2027, and is under lawsuit. [DeKalb County BOC item 2026-1109 (moratorium extended to Mar 30, 2027) (2026-07-07); Programs.com: Data Center Moratoriums by State tracker (2026) (2026-11-05)]
- City of Atlanta (Sep 3, 2024): data centers are barred in the Beltline Overlay and within 2,640 ft of high-capacity transit stations. [Atlanta City Council: data center ordinances (Beltline overlay, transit areas) (2024-09-03)]
- Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms (elected Nov 3) pledged a temporary statewide pause. State moratorium bills HB 1012 and HB 1059 died in 2026. [DCD: Anti-data center candidates claim victory across the US in 2026 midterm elections (2026-11-04); NCSL: Which States Are Banning Data Centers? (updated Sep 15, 2026) (2026-09-15); Programs.com: Data Center Moratoriums by State tracker (2026) (2026-11-05)]
- The sales-tax exemption survived a 2026 repeal push (SB 410). Certificates expire Dec 31, 2031. [LoadAtlas: Data center tax incentives by state, and what changed in 2026 (2026-10-21)]
Pending legislation and actions 1 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-04 | Georgia state | Governor-elect pledge: temporary statewide pauseuncertain Keisha Lance Bottoms (elected Nov 3) called for a statewide pause to assess impacts on bills, communities and the environment. | proposed | high | [DCD: Anti-data center candidates claim victory across the US in 2026 midterm elections (2026-11-04)] |
In force / enacted 22 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | Georgia PSC / Georgia Power utility | Certification of about 10 GW of new generationuncertain About 9.985 GW certified, roughly 80% expected for data centers, with Georgia Power backstopping costs through 2031. | enacted | high | [Georgia PSC: Data Center Fact Sheet (Sep 2026) (2026-09)] |
| 2026-08-31 | Forest Park city | Forest Park City Council 90-day data center moratorium (instrument number not published)uncertain Council adopted a 90-day moratorium at a special called meeting. Duration: 90 days (to about 2026-11-29) | in force | high | [News-Daily (Clayton County) (2026-08-31)] |
| 2026-08-13 | Ball Ground city | Ball Ground City Council moratorium on data center applications (instrument and term not published in accessible sources) City Council adopted a moratorium on data center applications. Duration: 180 days (effective 2026-08-14 through 2027-02-09), per Cherokee Tribune reporting; not independently verified against the moratorium's own text, which was not located separately from the | in force | high | [City of Ball Ground, Georgia (2026-08-13)] |
| 2026-07-28 | Paulding County county | Paulding County Board of Commissioners resolution suspending new data center applications, zoning requests, and civil plan reviews Commissioners unanimously approved a moratorium in effect until January 1, 2027, suspending new data center applications, zoning requests, and civil plan reviews Duration: Until January 1, 2027 | in force | high | [Paulding County hits pause on new data centers (2026-08-03)] |
| 2026-07-22 | Cherokee County county | Cherokee County Board of Commissioners resolution instituting a 30-day moratorium on data center applications (July 2026), extended by a Board resolution adopted 2026-08-18 enacting a 180-day moratori Board unanimously adopted a 30-day moratorium in July 2026 and on 2026-08-18 unanimously extended it by 180 days while staff research and draft data center standards. Duration: Initial 30 days (adopted 2026-07-21/22); extended by 180 days on 2026-08-18, for a | in force | high | [North Georgia Community Action Network (2026-08)] |
| 2026-07-21 | Chamblee city | Chamblee City Council temporary moratorium suspending acceptance of applications relating to new data centers (sponsored by At-Large Councilmember Jimmy Furst) Council adopted a 180-day moratorium on data center applications to review its code. Duration: 180 days, through 2027-01-16 | in force | high | [Decaturish (2026-07-21)] |
| 2026-07-07 | DeKalb County county | Moratorium on new or expanded data center applications (extended) Extended Jul 7, 2026 to Mar 30, 2027 and under lawsuit. | in force | high | [DeKalb County BOC item 2026-1109 (moratorium extended to Mar 30, 2027) (2026-07-07)] |
| 2026-07 | Marietta city | Marietta City Council resolution/ordinance adopting a 6-month moratorium on new data centersuncertain City council unanimously voted to pass a six-month moratorium on new data centers through December 31, 2026 Duration: 6 months, through December 31, 2026 Current end: 2026-12-31. | in force | high | [Marietta City Council approves data center off Delk Road (2026-08-12)] |
| 2026-06-16 | Coweta County county | (second instrument, June 2026) Coweta County Board of Commissioners resolution imposing a 180-day moratorium on acceptance of permits, land use amendments, rezoning/conditional use and variance applic Commissioners unanimously adopted a 180-day moratorium to review the county's data center ordinance. Duration: 180 days (to about 2026-12-13) | in force | high | [Times-Herald (Newnan) (2026-06-16)] |
| 2026-06-15 | Milton (Fulton County) city | City Council resolution enacting a 30-day pause on data center applications and permits, subsequently extended City Council unanimously enacted a 30-day moratorium June 15, bridged it with a short extension July 6, and extended it for up to 180 days on July 20 Duration: Initial 30-day moratorium enacted 2026-06-15; bridged by a short housekeeping extension on 2026-07-0 | in force | high | [Milton extends data center freeze for 180 more days (2026-07-20)] |
| 2026-03-23 | Cedartown city | Cedartown City Commission Resolution 4, 2026, adopted March 23, 2026 (unanimous).uncertain Study moratorium; outcome pending as of sources reviewed Duration: Six months per the city manager's public statement ahead of the vote. | in force | high | [Special Call Meeting Minutes, March 23, 2026 (2026-03-23)] |
| 2026-03-03 | Carroll County county | Carroll County Board of Commissioners resolution adopted March 3, 2026, applicable only to unincorporated Carroll County; extension resolution adopted June 3, 2026. Third 100-day moratorium adopted 2026-08-04; permanent ordinance for data centers, solar and battery storage still in draft. Duration: 100 days from March 3, 2026 (or until zoning revisions adopted); extended 100 days on June 3, 2026; a third 100-day moratoriu | in force | high | [Carroll County Board of Commissioners Resolution, March 3, 2026 (2026-03-03)] |
| 2026-02-26 | Hall County county | Hall County Board of Commissioners moratorium on detention centers, high-density developments, and data centers, voted 2026-02-26 (per WSB-TV reporting and GPB Georgia Today 2026-02-27); resolution nuuncertain Moratorium extended 2026-08-27 to 2027-02-23; data center ordinance adopted within the UDC update on 2026-09-10 while the moratorium stays in place. Duration: 180 days from 2026-02-26; extended another 180 days by 5-0 vote on 2026-08-27, running until 2027-02- | in force | high | [Hall County extends moratorium on data centers, detention centers (2026-08-27)] |
| 2026-02-24 | Cobb County county | Board of Commissioners moratorium resolution adopted unanimously 2026-02-24; extended by resolution adopted 2026-08-11 (BOC Regular Meeting agenda item 27, 'To adopt a resolution extending a temporary Moratorium extended 2026-08-11 through 2027-02-24; zoning code amendments for data centers being drafted. Duration: Initial 180 days from 2026-02-24; extended another six months by resolution adopted 2026-08-11, expiring 2027-02-24. Current end: 2027-02-24. | in force | high | [Cobb County BOC (2026-08-11)] |
| 2026-02-24 | Meriwether County county | Meriwether County Board of Commissioners moratorium on data center applications in unincorporated areas, extended by action of 2026-07-28 (instrument numbers not published) Commission adopted a moratorium on new data center applications and extended it to 2026-11-21 pending an ordinance. Duration: Original term to 2026-08-23; extended 90 days on 2026-07-28 through 2026-11-21 Current end: 2026-11-21. | in force | high | [Commission extends temporary moratorium on data centers 90 days while drafting ordinance] |
| 2026-02-17 | Newton County county | Resolution R-040726b County study and ordinance drafting Duration: Initial emergency moratorium to 2026-03-18; revised to 2026-04-08; extended to 2026-10-07 Current end: 2026-10-07. | in force | high | [Newton County BOC (2026-04-07)] |
| 2026-02 | Hogansville city | City Council moratorium on data center applications, extended by council votes 2026-05-04, 2026-07-20 and 2026-08-17 (5-0)uncertain Council repeatedly extended its data center application moratorium while revising the UDO; denied the draft ordinance 2026-08-17. Duration: Series of short extensions: 90 days (May 4), 30 days from Aug 2 (July 20), to the Sept 8, 2026 council meeting (Aug 17) | in force | high | [Public Hearing & Regular Meeting Agenda, September 8, 2026 (2026-09-08)] |
| 2026-01-13 | Rockdale County county | Rockdale County Resolution No. 2026-01 (moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems), extended 2026-05-12 and amended by Resolution No. R-2026-24 (adopted 2026-08-25), which exempts County extended its data center moratorium through 2026-09-08 and held a public town hall the same evening Duration: Resolution 2026-01 (2026-01-13); extended 2026-05-12 through 2026-09-08; amended by R-2026-24 (2026-08-25) to run through 2026-10-01, the inten | in force | high | [Rockdale County BOC (2026-08-25)] |
| 2026-01 | East Point (Fulton County) city | City Council voice-vote extension of an existing data center moratoriumuncertain City Council extended its existing data center moratorium for three months and directed staff to report back during that period; council considered six months but the city attorney recommended no more than three additional months Duration: Extended three month | in force | high | [Jan 05, 2026 City Council - East Point, GA (2026-01-05)] |
| 2025-09-16 | Lamar County county | Lamar County Resolution 2025-18, 'Moratorium on Commercial and Manufacturing Development,' adopted September 16, 2025; extended as to data centers by Resolution 26-03, adopted on or about March 17, 20 Code modernization including data-center treatment Duration: 180 days (Resolution 2025-18), with an internal staff goal of completing the underlying code rewrite within 90 days; subsequently extended as to data centers specifically by Resolution 26-03 (on or a | in force | high | [Regular Business Meeting Summary, March 17, 2026 (2026-03-17)] |
| 2025-09-03 | Clayton County county | Resolution 2025-193 (per Clayton County news release referenced in GPB 2025-10-22 reporting) [VERIFY: county news release URL https://www.claytoncountyga.gov/news/clayton-county-board-of-commissionersuncertain Study period; permanent post-expiration framework not confirmed Duration: 120 days, through 2025-12-31; extended a total of three times since September 2025 per county documents cited by WABE (July 24, 2026); still in effect as of that date. Exact current end | in force | high | [South 75/85 News (2026-08)] |
| 2024-09-03 | Atlanta city | Data centers barred in Beltline Overlay and near transit Bars data centers in the Beltline Overlay and within 2,640 ft of high-capacity transit stations. | in force | medium | [Atlanta City Council: data center ordinances (Beltline overlay, transit areas) (2024-09-03)] |
Pricing & supply snapshot directional
MW Desk estimate / directional range, Q4 2026
Asking-rate bands below are MW Desk directional estimates in USD per kW-month. They are rounded ranges, not quoted rates, and they go stale quickly.
- Retail colo (roughly 0–250 kW): $145–360/kW-mo
- Wholesale (roughly 250 kW–4 MW): $95–230/kW-mo
- Large / hyperscale blocks (roughly 4 MW+): $100–205/kW-mo
- Vacancy band: around 1–2% (very tight)
- Commissioned inventory (directional): ~2.3–2.8 GW
- Available power (directional): ~5–50 MW
- Under construction: ~65–135 MW
- Planned pipeline: ~2.9–3.6 GW
- Absorption: strong positive absorption
- Power / timing: Immediate powered shell is scarce; expect multi-year waits for net-new large-load service in constrained pockets.
Indicative only. Ranges are rounded and adjusted directional estimates, not quoted asking rates or a survey. Confirm with brokers and operators before acting. Source data ages quickly.
TJ field notes
Coming soon: TJ's on-the-ground notes on this market. Expect what the queue really looks like, which sites can actually get power, and what the brokers aren't saying.
Slot reserved for TJ's detailed market report.