Georgia Power, the Southern Company subsidiary that keeps the lights on for millions of Georgians, is now turning some of those lights off permanently. The utility is using eminent domain to seize properties along a 35-mile corridor, clearing the way for a massive transmission line designed to feed electricity-hungry AI data centers.
The $16 billion grid expansion plan targets over 330 homeowners for easement acquisitions. Between 20 and 30 homes are slated for full demolition. Residents say they never had a real chance to fight back.
Project Wansley and the power play
At the center of the controversy is Project Wansley, a 500-kilovolt transmission line cutting through Coweta and Fayette counties in Georgia. The line is purpose-built to serve large-load customers, which in 2025 means one thing: data centers running AI workloads.
Georgia Power plans to add approximately 10 gigawatts of new generation capacity over the next five years. About 80% of that new power is earmarked for data centers.
