Maria Alvarez
Candidate for U.S. Senate · Georgia. Party: Democrat.
Campaign website: mariaalvarez2026.org. Linking to a campaign website is not an endorsement.
Answers on data centers
Written by the candidate and published exactly as submitted. We do not edit, shorten or correct these answers.
Water use
Large data centers can use millions of gallons of water a year for cooling. What should the state require of new facilities?
New facilities should be required to use closed-loop or air cooling, with no net draw on municipal drinking water. Operators should publish a projected water budget before a permit is issued, and verified figures for actual use before it is renewed.
Ratepayer costs
When a data center's demand requires new transmission or generation, who should pay for that build-out?
The facility should cover the full cost of any transmission, generation or grid upgrades its demand requires, under a binding agreement signed before construction, with no recovery from residential ratepayers. If it leaves, the cost stays with the company.
Local approval
Should local governments be able to reject a proposed data center after the state has approved it?
Local governments should have a formal role in review and the ability to impose binding conditions on hours, noise, water and decommissioning, but not a unilateral veto once a project has cleared state environmental review.