Kemp vetoes pause in data center tax break, will stay in effect for next 7 years

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp departs the Georgia House chamber after delivering the 2024 State of the State address on Jan. 11, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

Gov. Brian Kemp has vetoed a bill that would have suspended a tax exemption for data centers, a booming industry in Georgia that’s raising concerns over energy and water use.

Data centers are large banks of computer servers that are critical to very-online modern life: email, zoom calls, online banking, telemedicine, streaming entertainment. They also power emerging fields like cryptocurrency and AI.