Georgia Solar Projects Face Local Backlash Over Power Demand

Solar companies are racing to develop thousands of acres of new panel farms in Georgia, drawn by expiring federal tax incentives and the state's booming power demand. But the build-out is meeting local backlash, and at least one project now faces a lawsuit.

Part of the friction is what the power is for. Solar farms help feed data centers, and data centers are dealing with their own national backlash, sustainability experts say. TechCrunch reported, citing energy consulting firm BloombergNEF, that data centers are expected to drive an additional terawatt of utility-scale solar power in the next decade.

Georgia Power obtained approval last year to expand the state's energy grid by 10 gigawatts by 2030, mainly to accommodate the influx of data centers. Renewables make up 6 percent of the power Georgia Power's grid generates, and the utility is working to boost solar as demand increases. Earlier this year it approved 16 solar power purchase agreements.

As of September, eight developers have 16 planned utility-scale solar projects in Georgia, according to data center analysis firm Cleanview. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs is reviewing at least four of them through its development of regional impact program, including San Diego-based EDF Renewable Energy's proposed 1,600-acre site in Miller County.

Also under review: a 150-acre, 27-megawatt solar park by Atlanta-based Inman Solar in Effingham County, about 20 miles north of the Hyundai Metaplant near Savannah; a 2,500-acre solar farm by San Antonio-based OCI Energy about 25 miles south of Albany; and two NextEra Energy Resources projects.

NextEra spokesperson Alexis Jones said in an email that the company's $430M Amber Meadow project, once built, is expected to contribute about $49.2M to local taxing authorities over the life of the project.

The federal clock is part of the rush. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, solar projects must be in service by the end of 2027 to qualify for the tax credit, unless a developer can show construction began by July 4, 2026.

Residents worry the projects could hurt nearby property values, create stormwater and other ecological issues, and change the makeup of a community.

In July, an Irwin County couple sued NextEra and the local development authority over the Amber Meadow plans, alleging the project is using tax incentives for a development they say will ultimately harm their neighboring property values, TGV News reported.

In June, the Lee County Board of Commissioners rejected a request for Inman Solar to build a nearly 16 MW utility-scale solar farm on 123 acres just outside of Albany, following concerns over environmental impacts, property rights and industrializing a residential area, The Albany Herald reported.

In Bacon County, residents have protested a plan by Nashville-based Silicon Ranch to develop a $300M solar farm that would generate enough electricity for 50,000 houses, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Vanderbilt University sustainability studies chair David Hess said opposition is "just growing with the growth of solar," and that it is merging with the sentiment around data centers.

Georgia Tech Energy Policy and Innovation Center director Laura Taylor said the fight is about community character: "It's not about the energy. It's about the character of the area that you live." Any place with significant utility-scale solar sees pushback from rural, typically farming communities worried it is changing the character of their community, she said.

Florida State University's Mark McNees said mounting national opposition to data center construction is spilling over to solar. Many data center projects won't produce the local jobs that would offset the expanded consumption and cost of power: "You don't have the economic benefit to the community. You have a huge power increase to the community. And what could be worse?"

For landowners, Taylor said, solar farms offer a financial upside. Pure agricultural use could generate an average of $150 per acre annually, while a solar company lease lasting 20 years or more could generate $1,500 per acre per year.

Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Bert Brantley, a former deputy chief of staff for Governor Brian Kemp, said Georgia's power needs make more solar farms necessary, especially in rural areas where land is more plentiful: "We are completely in favor of more power generation to make sure that we stay competitive and the leading edge of growing smart. It doesn't matter where they're at, because they're all part of the generation mix."

For Georgia real estate, this is a story about land and power. Solar leases are changing what rural acreage earns, data centers are redrawing the state's energy grid, and local governments are deciding which projects get built. The decisions are being made county by county, and they will shape the next round of Georgia growth.

As reported by Jarred Schenke of Bisnow, published September 9, 2026. Items above credit TechCrunch (citing BloombergNEF), TGV News, The Albany Herald and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Figures, quotes and dates are as stated in the report, not estimates.