EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) -A packed coffee shop in Rincon turned into a planning meeting Monday night as Effingham County residents organized opposition to OpenAI\u2019s proposed $20 billion data center.<\/p>\n
The meetup comes less than a week after OpenAI announced plans for the project in Effingham County. About 100 people gathered at Just Love Coffee and Cafe, with several attendees saying their biggest frustration is they did not have a say before the announcement.<\/p>\n
Effingham County resident Wade Britt said he believes rural communities are being targeted because it can be harder for residents to organize quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to call it the war of western aggression. Silicon Valley is coming to the South to take over,\u201d Britt said. \u201cThey\u2019re coming to rural areas like us because we can\u2019t organize very effectively and take action.\u201d<\/p>\n
Britt said the response is based on what residents say they have learned so far about the proposal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say this is response to fear but it\u2019s a response to we don\u2019t like what we know now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In the crowd, residents raised concerns about cost of living, water resources and whether a project this size can come to the county without changing daily life.<\/p>\n
Amy Whitehurst, the owner of Just Love Coffee and Cafe, said she uses AI tools but wants stronger guarantees that the project will not disrupt families.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not anti-AI or anything but there is a concern about making sure it doesn\u2019t disrupt our homes and our families and our health,\u201d Whitehurst said.<\/p>\n
Organizers said Monday\u2019s meeting was a starting point and they expect more residents to take a position as additional information becomes public.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think as people become increasingly aware of it, the positions will harden, one way or the other,\u201d Britt said.<\/p>\n
OpenAI has said the project will not raise electric rates for residents and that water use will be minimal, but residents at Monday\u2019s meeting said they want those promises verified as plans move forward.<\/p>\n
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