Effingham County residents sue over zoning change tied to $20 billion OpenAI data center
Three Effingham County residents are asking a judge to throw out a zoning change that allows data centers on industrial property, challenging a decision tied to OpenAI's planned $20 billion Project Camellia.
Dr. Michelle Finch-Mincey, Lehman Mincey Jr. and Raymond Carver filed the lawsuit in Effingham County Superior Court on Sept. 2. Effingham County is the only defendant; OpenAI and Georgia Power are not being sued.
The lawsuit challenges Ordinance 2026-352, which county commissioners approved Aug. 4. The measure changed the county's list of permitted land uses to allow data centers on properties already zoned for industrial use.
The residents claim the county approved the change without holding the public hearings required by Georgia law and the county's own zoning rules. According to the complaint, those rules call for one hearing before the county planning board and a second before county commissioners.
The lawsuit alleges neither hearing took place before the final vote.
The residents are asking a judge to declare the zoning change invalid and prevent the county from relying on it until the required public process is completed. They are also seeking attorney fees over alleged violations of Georgia's Open Meetings Act.
The lawsuit does not directly seek to stop Georgia Power's agreement to supply electricity to Project Camellia. That contract recently cleared state regulatory review and calls for the utility to provide up to 3,200 megawatts of power in phases from 2028 through 2032.
OpenAI plans to build the data center on approximately 1,440 acres at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub. The company says it will invest at least $20 billion, create thousands of construction and permanent jobs and provide $80 million in community benefits.
Effingham County says the project has met its initial requirements but still must undergo additional reviews, permitting and inspections before construction and operation can begin. Those steps include reviews involving water and sewer service, stormwater management, wetlands, utilities, building requirements and fire safety, according to the county's project update.
OpenAI has said the facility will use a closed-loop water system and that an independent firm will audit the project's commitments annually. Georgia Power says OpenAI will pay the full cost of the infrastructure needed to serve the facility.
