Alabama is becoming one of the southern hubs for AI data centers, as our elected leaders seek to be on the cutting edge of future technology while providing economic opportunity that encourages growth and expansion.
But to what end? Alabama’s diversity and beauty have long been appreciated and, for the most part, protected from erosion. With the proposed expansion of two new data centers, citizens are engaging, particularly since it will ultimately affect both the landscape and energy prices.
In 2024, META (Facebook) received Gov. Kay Ivey’s blessing to open a huge AI data center in Montgomery.
Governor Kay Ivey announced today that technology company Meta Platforms plans to open an $800 million data center in Alabama’s capital city that will support 100 operational jobs and build on the company’s previous investment in the state.
Meta’s new 715,000-square-foot, AI-optimized data center will be built off Interstate 65 in Montgomery…. It will join the company’s other Alabama data center campus, located in Huntsville and representing an investment commitment of $1.5 billion.
As WABE (in partnership with Grist) asserts in this article, META claimed solar energy would power these facilities, helping them remain net zero in terms of emissions.
This all sounds well and good, as no one wants to see brownouts, blackouts, or price increases. However, the takeover of arid and productive farmland to accommodate the solar energy required to power these centers has become a presiding problem.
“With the rapid advances and uses of AI technology, hyperscale data center projects are popping up all across the Southeast, including here in Alabama,” Alabama Rivers Alliance noted. “These facilities require hundreds of acres of land and buildings to house vast amounts of computers requiring unprecedented amounts of energy and water to operate.”
The Alliance further reports that Alabama’s antiquated water infrastructure and laws hinder further expansion and development. This does not appear to concern town councils, let alone the county commissioners who are helping ink these deals. From all appearances, it is full steam ahead, with any consequences addressed later.
Alabama Rivers Alliance is working with several Alabama communities to stall or limit the development of these data centers. The other data center in development, “Project Marvel,” was approved for Bessemer in 2025. In January it came under fire because developers initially presented one plan, but newer plans show a takeover of more infrastructure, which in turn will require more energy expansion.
Despite the progress made, there is a major setback facing the Project Marvel data center in Alabama…. The data center has been met with fierce opposition since it was introduced and locals are against the project. Public Facebook group ‘Bessemer Data Center-We say NO’ has been vocal about its opposition to the proposed project.
The legitimate concerns expressed are the same of other U.S. states who are opposed to their data centers, including “potential environmental impact and the possibility of rising utility bills such as electricity. … Some highlight the data center boom pushes into communities that have little to no insight with such projects.”
These tensions are legitimate and cannot be ignored. When similar centers were built in Georgia, officials promised that solar would be their only source of power. Yet new reports show that Georgia is pulling from other forms of energy to support the exorbitant amount of power these data centers use. Citizens wonder what will happen to their communities, let alone their resources, once these data centers are established. It may already be too late.
Stockton is the latest community questioning solar expansion in support of these centers, 1819 News reports.
Nashville-based Silicon Ranch is attempting to develop a 2,000-acre solar farm on a private, 4,500-acre property near the Tensaw River Delta wetlands. The project would support a Meta data center near Montgomery.
The project has raised concerns about environmental impact and a lack of communication from officials. The Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the project on Dec. 2, 2025, but residents said they didn’t learn of it until last week.
‘Here we are, a massive grassroots civilian group who is quickly organizing and putting their heads and resources and connections together to find a way to stop this unwanted project that giant corporations and some sneaky politicians cooked up,’ said organizer Meagan Fowler.
Politicians and local officials see dollar signs and more “modern” citizens who will support their candidacies and campaigns. Residents, however, see the destruction of both their communities and the beauty of the environment and the wildlife it draws and supports. Those who have traveled to the Midwest or West have seen the wind turbine farms peppering the landscape. These “Skynet”-like structures are not only a blight to the skyline, but they kill birds and affect the ecosystem of the land. Solar panels present similar issues, not only destroying once-rich soil, but affecting wildlife and the surrounding areas.
In September, I wrote about the issues with a small solar panel farm in Muscle Shoals, which has resulted in the flooding of farmland and residential homes. Despite that, and a lawsuit lodged against the city over the flooding, town officials plowed ahead with the solar farm expansion, which includes neighboring Sheffield. The Shoals area is fast becoming a Huntsville suburb, thanks to the two AI data centers now housed in the Rocket City. City leaders claim that the production will mitigate the increased demand from Tennessee Valley Authority as the region expands.
Many of the Shoals residents are not convinced, but unlike Stockton, citizen engagement is sorely lacking. Yet the communities south of the Shoals are in the thick of this battle between progress and preservation, so we will be watching it closely. 
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected]. 
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