Effingham Data Center: A Reflection

The fight against Project Camellia; OpenAI sets it's consuming eyes on the land, water, and electricity of Effingham County.,

I can’t say I was surprised when I heard about the data center in Effingham County. If you look at the way things have been going, this is a predictable turn of events. The capital playbook is typical.

But I was still shocked and outraged, almost in disbelief that the terror could finally make its way here in our area. Sometimes it’s easier to imagine the news will stay on our screen and be someone else’s problem. The headline felt like a punch to the heart.

I was raised in Effingham. Anytime I drive in from Savannah to visit family I notice a new warehouse or suburban cookie cutter neighborhood. It was slow at first, an occasional clearing of forest and construction. But now it’s a constant irritation and eyesore. The place I grew up in is changing in ways most cannot keep up with or want to. It’s hard to imagine what this 1,400 acre development will look like. I want to imagine a better future instead.

I’ve been to a lot of protests in my years of organizing, but attending the one at the Open AI “open house” in Effingham County a day after residents found out about the $20 billion data center, 50% tax abatement for 15 years, and deceit of their representatives in office was one of my most memorable experiences so far.

There was a massive crowd. People with hand written signs and shirts, big blue posterboards a coalition in Port Wentworth were selling. I saw the usual suspects that I see in Savannah protesting, but so many others too. People I recognized from growing up in Rincon or could reasonably assume were from the area, lots of families with children.

It was the first time I went to a protest with my sister. She’s on the opposite end of me politically, but I try to find our common interests. I didn’t have to do any convincing about this particular issue to her, my parents, or anyone in Effingham that I still follow on Facebook. Residents are quite aware of the corruption. They are informed, or have been quick to spread knowledge. The corporations and even their president have miscalculated the lies that Americans will fall for.

The collective response was a true sign of solidarity. It gave me a lot of hope. This action a mixing of backgrounds, ages, and affiliations, all with a common, powerful enemy: Sam freaking Altman and his cronies. And Yancy Ford, the Superintendent who used to be my principal, who went on a tour of a data center in Texas with the other crooks, approved the building near two elementary schools, and said “This will be good for you and your kids, trust me.”

Big tech and the intersection of massive, environmentally-destructive data centers, artificial intelligence threatening jobs, algorithms farming our data, and mass surveillance systems tracking our movement is one of the most unifying issues of our day.

This is a moment for socialists to seize. We must recognize that Democrat representation will only get us so far. States like Virginia with Democrats in majority suffer from some of the highest concentrations of data centers in the country. We must be clear about the class issue. It is not red vs blue but us vs capitalism.

What people need now is not proselytizing, but real action, real solidarity. Otherwise we risk losing people in the fight. They want a way out of this, a path forward that can win, or one that would even dare to try to. Some residents have given up, but many are ready to fight back. That’s where a continued effort to keep showing up will matter, especially for us outside the county. As the old addendum goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

Our struggle continues. Savannah DSA is looking for ways to continue to be in solidarity with Effingham County. Please get in touch with us if you want to get more directly involved with fighting the data center.