About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2025)
Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers and a Rate Freeze By Tim Echols Page 4, June 2, 2025, The Islander Publisher's Statement THE ISLANDER (USPS 002430), A member of the Georgia Press Associa tion and Glynn County’s only weekly newspaper is published 51 weeks a year for $45 per year in Glynn County and $55 per year in the United States outside Glynn Comity by Permar Pub lications, Inc., 1604 B Newcastle Street, Brunswick, GA 31525. Periodicals post age paid at Brunswick, GA. The Island er is also available to subscribers onhne at theislanderonline.com. Contents of The Islander, including advertising, may not he reprinted or re produced in any form without written permission of the publishers. POST MASTER send address change to The Islander, P.O. Box 20539, St. Simons Island, GA 31522. Publication Deadline Publication Date: Every Monday Deadline: Thursdays, 12 PM for ads and news copy for the following Mon day’s edition. Holiday Schedule On Monday Post Office holidays, The Islander is mailed on Tuesday. 2025 Postal Holidays New Year’s Day: Wednesday, Jan. 1 MLK Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 20 Presidents Day: Monday, Feb. 17 Memorial Day: Monday, May 26 Juneteenth: Thursday, June 19 Independence Day: Friday, July 4 Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 1 Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 13 Veterans Day: Tuesday, Nov. 11 Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 27 Christmas: Thursday, Dec. 25 Holiday Deadline: Thursdays, 12 PM for ads and news copy for the following Monday’s edition. Mission Statement: to publish the truth without fear or favor. Matthew J. Permar - Publisher Elise J. Permar - Publisher 1972-2003 Gertrude Bradshaw - Co-Editor 1972-1991 Managing Editor & Advertising Manager Pamela P. Shierling 912-265-9654 Pew News Patty Gibson - 912-638-8844 Contributors Dr. Diane Bowen MD Ginny Johnson D.A. King Phone Number 912-265-9654 email: ssislander@bellsouth.net Web: theislanderonbne.com Award Winning Newspaper 1975 1980 1985 • 1976 19811992 1977 1982 1999 1978 1983 2002 1979 1984 2008 2012, 2016 There has been no hotter topic in my emails, calls and meetings than the emergence of data centers. Tech companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and even Netflix have mas sive data centers driven by demand from users, like you and me. Residen tial ratepayers have been rightly con cerned about how this could impact rates. I have good news. Let’s start with the good news. Georgia Power and our PSC staff have recently agreed to a base rate freeze for three years. This is welcome news as surrounding states continue to raise electricity and gas rates. Now to the challenge. Georgia is poised to become the Artificial Intelli gence (AI) capital of the US. We already lead the nation in “fintech,” which in volve credit card and bank payment systems. With massive data centers being built to host computers running ChatGPT and other applications, Geor gia is establishing dominance. The big concern is how it might im pact existing ratepayers. These tech companies need mass quantities of power and back-up natural gas genera tion to keep running in outages, and they want it in a relatively quick time. Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns earlier this month announced a special committee to study our state’s resource management plan and no doubt that review will include the impact of these centers. But still, thanks to Georgia tax HGI achieves Level 4 status Hospice of the Golden Isles (HGI) has achieved Level 4 partner status with the national We Honor Veterans initiative, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home (formerly National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Af fairs designed to improve the quality of care for veterans at the end of life. Reaching Level 4 in the We Honor Veterans program reflects HGI’s deep dedication to serving those who have served the nation. HGI is committed to continually improving services to meet the unique needs of veterans and their families, ensuring they re ceive the honor, respect, and care they deserve. We Honor Veterans incentives and reasonably priced elec tricity in our state, more data centers and large load customers are looking for sites throughout our state with ad equate land, power and water. These centers bring immense capital and contributions to the tax base, offer pre miums for the right property, support community infrastructure upgrades, and often give financial support to com munity initiatives. Last year, our Public Service Com mission took emergency action to ac quire 3300 megawatts of additional capacity, making sure the cost was borne by those asking for that power. Earlier this year, our PSC took further action and created new rules for very large-load customers, like data centers, to protect residential, small business customers and existing large business customers. Longer-term contracts, credit re quirements, minimal bill provisions and appropriate termination policies guard against instances where data centers or others may exit the system sooner than required to pay for their costs. These PSC-approved actions go a long way in resolving concerns from Georgia political leaders and ratepayers. I know there is a lingering concern across Georgia about energy prices af ter the pandemic, vast inflation, hurri canes, winter storms and the comple tion of Plant Vogtle, a worthy project that went way over budget due to the bankruptcy of Westinghouse. But our PSC, a group of five elected officials, has proactively secured the power we all need, and a healthy reserve mar gin—with more to come. And freez ing rates for three years, as previously mentioned, will help ease this concern. Not every state is in the position that Georgia is in. Southern Company and Georgia Power have a reputation for reliability. Our PSC has approved projects that have created a high re serve margin, like Plant Vogtle, and actions we took last year to acquire more capacity. And with our rates well below the national average, and 0% sales tax on manufacturing machinery and equip ment, you can see why companies like Hyundai, Q-Cells and SK Innovations now call Georgia home. Their presence in Georgia creates high paying jobs which in turn improve our tax base and create other service jobs in communi ties where these factories are located. In Georgia, we have made steps to secure for our state an abundance of energy through multiple sources mak ing us attractive to both Data Centers and Manufacturing. We are ready for the future. Tim Echols is a statewide elected official on the Georgia Public Service Commission having served since 2011. He is running for re-election and has both a Primary challenger on June 17 and a General Election opponent on November 4. OFA KIND Donnell Spaulding 205 Oak Rd Brunswick, Ga 31525 spauldingv@bellsouth.net 912-996-2661 PEST SERVICES WS> (J 0> St, Sllllulu' Ifland mUiLf^INQ SU1MPIUBS • St. Simons Island's Oldest Business - serving local builders, contractors, homeowners, DIYers and handymen since 1930 • Family owned FHardware Store for 4 generations • Full service - 150 years combined hardware knowledge • Complete on-site lumber yard • Competitive prices with the mainland • Free Delivery • Beach Supplies, Island T-shirts, tools & household items • Parking around back - We'll load you up! 221 Mallery St., St. Simons Island • (912) 638-8601
