On Saturday, Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities will host the first of three public forums in October concerning locating data centers in Bulloch County.
According to a release from the Development Authority of Bulloch County, the forums will help “Bulloch County and Statesboro residents deliberate about one of the most debated local issues of 2026: whether, where, and under what conditions data centers should be allowed (or not) in our community. Residents, farmers, business owners, and local officials hold strong and often differing views.”
The first forum is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Saturday inside the Honey Bowen Building on Max Lockwood Drive. The second is set for 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Homebuilders Association of Statesboro office, 1223 Merchants Way. The final forum will be 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 in the Jones-Love Cultural Center at Luetta Moore Park, 585 Martin Luther King Drive in Statesboro.
The public is invited. Registration is encouraged, the release states, but not required. To register go to the Google Form at the link, or contact Dr. Candice Bodkin at cbodkin@georgiasouthern.edu.
All forum participants will receive a copy of the discussion guide, “Data Centers in Our Backyard: How Should Our Community Decide?” The guide provides background on the issue in Georgia, Bulloch County and Statesboro.
"Our community has heard a lot of arguments about data centers. What we haven't had is many chances to sit down with neighbors who see things differently and really work through the choices together," said Dr. Candice Bodkin, associate professor and director of the Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities. "These forums aren't about telling anyone what to think. They're about helping all of us think through what we value as a community and making strategic decisions that align with those values and the kind of community we want to be moving forward."
Bulloch County's moratorium on data center permits is scheduled to expire December 31, and in September the county commission rejected a proposed ban by a 4-3 vote. The City of Statesboro adopted a data center ordinance in June and later rezoned land on Burkhalter Road where a data center could possibly be built.
A different kind of public meeting
According to the release, the forums will follow a model developed by the National Issues Forums, used for decades by communities across the country to tackle difficult public questions. Unlike a public hearing or a debate, the forum isn't about winning an argument or speaking for three minutes at a microphone. Participants will meet in small, moderated groups and work through three possible approaches, the release states:
- Protect our land, water, and way of life by keeping data centers out of the community.
- Welcome investment and let the market decide by allowing data centers under existing rules.
- Plan ahead and set firm ground rules by allowing data centers only in suitable locations that meet strict standards.
“For each approach, participants consider what it would accomplish, what it would cost, and what the community would have to accept in return. Trained moderators make sure every voice is heard and keep the conversation focused on the options rather than on individuals,” the release stated.
"Every option on the table asks us to give something up, whether it's tax revenue, local control, or protection from certain risks," said Dr. Jayce Sudweeks, director for Interdisciplinary Clusters of University Excellence at Georgia Southern. "Deliberation helps people be honest about those trade-offs and often reveals more common ground than we expect."
Georgia Southern will not take a position on data centers, the release states. A summary of themes from the forums, including areas of agreement and unresolved concerns, will be shared when the forums are completed with local officials and the public.