The Nixon Technology Center filing puts the data center at $3 billion, a 600-megawatt peak load and 40 full-time jobs, with $38.8 million a year in local taxes.
The data center campus proposed for south Augusta would need up to 600 megawatts of electricity at its peak, according to the developer’s latest state filing.
The second Development of Regional Impact form for the Nixon Technology Center was filed Monday, Oct. 19. It puts the project’s value at $3 billion when built out. It estimates 40 full-time jobs and $38.8 million a year in local tax revenue.
The figures are the developer’s own estimates, entered on a state form. No government body has checked or approved them yet.
What the filing says
The developer, 3 G Investments LLC, proposes a 3.34 million-square-foot campus on about 388 acres off Four H Club Road and Mike Padgett Highway. Our first story on the proposal covers the site and the rezoning it needs.
The new form adds these estimates:
| What the form says | |
|---|---|
| Value at build-out | $3,000,000,000 |
| Local tax revenue a year | $38,800,000 |
| Full-time jobs | 40 |
| Electricity supplier | Georgia Power |
| Peak electrical load | 600 megawatts |
| Water and sewer | Augusta Utilities |
| Water use | None in millions of gallons a day; “the system is closed loop” |
| Traffic | 177 peak-hour vehicle trips |
| Impervious surface | About 30% of the site |
| Open space | Over 60%, including tree save areas, buffers and stormwater ponds |
Power and backup
The form says there “may be turbine generators for power back ups with battery storage.” It does not say how many or what fuel they would use.
The form also says a study has been requested from the energy supplier. It does not say whether new substations or transmission lines would be needed.
Water, waste and the environment
The developer says the cooling system would be closed loop. Once it is filled, “there will be no daily impact” on water, the form says. Sewer flow would be “normal toilet and sink usage daily.”
The city’s data center ordinance (PDF), approved Sept. 15, allows only air-cooled or closed-loop cooling.
On waste, the form estimates less than 1 ton of solid waste a year. It also says the campus would produce about 42,000 metric tons of electronic waste over its life span. The developer said that figure comes from “a national average study” and may come down.
The form answers no to every environmental question, including wetlands, floodplains and historic resources. Its stormwater answer mentions “existing wetland avoidance” on the site.
What happens next
The form says the Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission asked for more information, and that it has been provided. As of Wednesday, the state’s register listed the project as “Additional Form Submitted.” It showed no regional commission finding yet.
The regional commission’s review is advisory. The land still needs a rezoning from the Augusta Commission. Under the city’s data center rules, a campus this size is allowed only in a Heavy Industrial district and only by special exception. On the city’s zoning map, the first coordinates in the filing fall in land zoned for agriculture.
What it means for you
- No public hearing is scheduled yet. A rezoning goes to the Augusta Planning Commission and then the Augusta Commission, with a public hearing at each.
- Watch for the regional commission’s report on the Nixon Technology Center DRI page. Neighboring governments get 15 days to comment once the review starts.
- Contact your commissioner through our who to call at City Hall page, or read our building permits and zoning guide.
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