White Oak Technology Park (Appling)

❓ Still unanswered

Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?

• Is Google the end user here? 🙋 I'll find out
• Is the $17 billion Kinetic agreement approved in Aug. 2026 for this site or the Harlem site? 🙋 I'll find out
• The 2025 filing listed 6.6 million gallons of water a day; the 2026 filing lists 148,000. Which is right? 🙋 I'll find out
• How many diesel generators are planned? 🙋 I'll find out

🗳️ Public vote

Columbia County voters will decide in November 2026 whether the county can use a fund, allowed by House Bill 439, to give homeowners property tax credits paid for by the Google data center campuses. County leaders say credits could start in 2027.

🤝 Agreement with the company

Columbia County's development authority approved a deal with Kinetic Infrastructure Solutions, a Google (Alphabet) company, for a data center investment of at least $17 billion. County leaders say they want data center money to end the county's share of homeowner property taxes.

⚖️ Court case

A resident filed two court petitions challenging Columbia County's rezonings for the White Oak and Pumpkin Center data center projects. He says the county approved them without checking water and sewer capacity, used an old traffic study, skipped a full regional review and did not properly notify the school district.

🗺️ Zoning change

Columbia County commissioners approved rezonings for two data center sites: Pumpkin Technology Campus near Harlem and White Oak Technology Park near Appling. They denied a third, Byrd Farm, by a 4-1 vote. Developers still need site plans, grading permits and a letter from Georgia Power showing it can supply the power.

📜 Data center rules

Columbia County has a special Data Center zoning district. The county development authority calls it one of the strictest in Georgia. It requires 500-foot buffers from homes, a 65-decibel noise limit, closed-loop cooling, no private wells, shielded lighting and a plan to take the buildings down when they close.