Members of the Eatonton-Putnam Tourism, Arts, and Heritage (EPTAH) group met Oct. 15 at the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce, where conversation turned toward one of Georgia’s more controversial new industries: data centers.
Putnam Development Authority Executive Director Matt Poyner raised the topic, pointing to large-scale projects in nearby Jones and Twiggs counties that have drawn public opposition.
Poyner said that while data centers consume massive amounts of power and water, they also generate outsized tax revenue with relatively little strain on local infrastructure.
Still, he acknowledged “the public at large is losing their mind about these projects. So, I started to ask myself why.”
Poyner said that in many cases, just one data center provides tax revenue exceeding what the host city and county’s annual budgets previously collected, combined.
“These are huge, huge projects, and they’re not going to stop,” Poyner said. He also described them as “quiet operations that bring high-paying jobs without the environmental footprint or traffic of traditional industry.”
EPTAH members discussed the logistics of hosting such a facility locally, particularly the readiness of the infrastructure.
“Data centers don’t take gas; they do take water,” Poyner said, adding, “it’s a win-win situation” since Putnam County has ready access to water.
The only major constraint, he added, is electricity, which is an issue across Georgia as energy-hungry developments compete for power. Georgia Power now requires financial assurances from potential operators, but Poyner said the firms showing interest are “top three or five companies in the world.”
Poyner also pointed out the industrial park sits within Eatonton city limits, meaning municipal coffers would directly benefit.
“Theoretically, you could make the millage rate zero,” he said, half-jokingly.
City Councilmember Janie Reid said she personally supported the idea.
“It would be great for the community,” she said, clarifying that she was speaking only as a citizen and not representing the city council.
Jim Stone of Tytan Pictures, who works in the film and technology sector, linked the opportunity to the rise of artificial intelligence. Drawing on previous work in Peachtree Corners, Stone described how that city’s investment in tech infrastructure attracted major firms such as Intuitive Surgical, creating thousands of jobs and a steady flow of visitors.
“They transformed their city,” Stone said.
Poyner added that with Rivian’s electric-vehicle plant soon to arise near Madison and the I-20 corridor booming, Putnam County needs to position itself for growth, too.
“We’re at the tip of the spear,” he said. “But if we don’t take the opportunity and control the growth, we’ll never grow.”
The meeting then turned to updates from city, education, and hospital leaders. Reid announced that through a partnership with Georgia Power, two new electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at downtown Eatonton’s City Center Park, though they are not yet operational. She added she expects they will be within about a month.
Stone suggested placing a digital kiosk near the chargers to advertise and promote local attractions to EV drivers waiting for their cars to charge.
Putnam County School Superintendent Derick Austin reported that the new elementary school will be featured in the December issue of American School and University magazine for outstanding design. He also announced that several local students will again participate in summer programs at Oxford College, with six rising seniors receiving full scholarships to the two-week, college-readiness sessions.
Putnam General Hospital CEO Alan Horton briefed the group on the Georgia HEART Program, which allows residents to redirect state taxes to rural hospitals through a dollar-for-dollar credit. He also described a fundraising drive for a new $300,000 mammography machine at PGH, noting the hospital foundation hopes to raise $100,000 by year’s end.
“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s the perfect time to kick this off,” Horton said.
Members also heard about progress on a long-planned monument to Eatonton native Colonel Hiram Little Sr., a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Kevin Tomson-Hooper of The Artisans Village shared photos of a six-foot sculpture of Little now in development by internationally famous artist Basil Watson.
“This is a story that needs to be told,” Tomson-Hooper said of Little’s time as a Tuskegee Airmen B-25 bomber crew member and military civil rights pioneer.
His figure, cast in bronze, will be mounted on a four-foot granite base, with the statue expected to be unveiled near the Eatonton Veterans Memorial next fall.
“Basil has been great to work with; he’s just hung in there with us, told us he’d be ready when we were ready,” Tomson-Hooper said of Watson.
As the EPTAH session adjourned, the prevailing theme appeared to be about promoting growth and modernity while preserving local heritage and livability.