ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Dougherty County commissioners voted to extend the county’s data center moratorium another 180 days.

Every commissioner voted in favor of the extension.

Extension details

County officials say there is no limit to how many times they can pause a decision on whether a data center comes to Dougherty County.

The biggest sticking point among commissioners was how specific the moratorium’s language should be on large-scale versus small-scale data centers.

Resident reaction

Residents said they are pleased with how county and city leaders have handled their concerns.

“We spoke to them about two months ago, and they were kind of dismissive and pushed back,” James Malphrus, a Dougherty County resident, said. “The next month, they came back and passed the 45-day pause, and now a 180-day extension. So they are responsive. They are listening to us, and we’re thankful for that.”

Next steps

Residents said the next step is new ordinances. They want rules on noise, how close centers can be built to homes and water usage.

Residents plan to attend the county’s planning and zoning meeting Thursday, Sept. 3.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.