Project Red Clay data center in Lowndes County
Also called: Sandstone Cliffs DevCo
A Houston developer, Cloverleaf, plans a very large data center on about 800 acres in rural Lowndes County. It has asked Alabama Power for 1,500 megawatts, about as much as a million homes. Residents say officials have shared almost no details.
Where things stand: Developer has asked Alabama Power for 1,500 megawatts. No end user named. The county has no zoning.
🕒 Latest update (Aug 24, 2026): More than 150 residents asked the County Commission for details. The commission passed a resolution asking the state for planning and zoning power.
What we know
- 📍 WhereAbout 800 acres in northeast Lowndes County; reports place it near Hayneville or Hope Hull, Lowndes County, Lowndes County
- 🏢 CompanyCloverleaf Infrastructure
- 🌳 Size800 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs1,500 megawatts (about as much as 1,200,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromAlabama Power (1,500 MW requested)
- 💧 WaterPintlala Water System (requested) · 100,000 gallons a day
- 💵 Cost$1.5 billion
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Which company would run the data center? 🙋 I'll find out
- Exactly where is the site, and is any of it inside a town? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the developer ask for tax breaks before the state deadline of Jan 1, 2027? 🙋 I'll find out
- Was a secret deal (NDA) signed by county officials? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- May 2026A residents' coalition gathered about 1,100 signatures against the project before a County Commission meeting.
- July 27, 2026Residents filed a public records request for project documents.
- Aug 24, 2026More than 150 residents asked the County Commission for details. The commission passed a resolution asking the state for planning and zoning power.
Local votes and rules
📌 Other
After more than 150 residents asked for details on Project Red Clay, the County Commission unanimously passed a resolution backing a state law that would give Lowndes County planning and zoning power. The county has no zoning today, so it cannot block the project.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Lowndes County residents demand transparency in hyperscale data center development · Route Fifty (Alabama Reflector) · Aug 25, 2026
- Over 1,000 signatures collected against Lowndes County data center ahead of Tuesday commission meeting · 1819 News · May 26, 2026
- Proposed Data Centers Could Use More Electricity Than All Alabama Homes Combined · Inside Climate News · Aug 19, 2026
- Lowndes County, Alabama Residents Call for Accountability and Transparency Around Proposed 800-Acre Data Center · NRDC · Aug 2026
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