AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A luncheon Thursday gave business and community leaders more information about data centers coming to Augusta.

Georgia Power and QTS representatives attended to help people understand what the project is and how it will impact Augusta. The QTS data center is planned for land near the Haynes Station neighborhood.

They cited the Public Service Commission’s rule that data centers have to pay for 100 percent of their energy usage and upgrades to local grids.

“We heard earlier today about some of the great things that Georgia’s been doing in being able to provide that reliable and affordable power,” said Khara Boender, director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition. “And the data center industry is committed to paying for their full cost of service for electricity, including paying for some of those upfront costs when it comes to those grid build-outs.”

The experts said the main thing drawing data centers to Georgia is the availability of land and power. They called Georgia the number one state for data centers.

Kerry Bridges, Georgia Power’s region executive, said the state’s low energy rates — 15% lower than the national average — contribute to that draw.

Bridges said the bill for usage and upgrades to electrical systems go 100% to the data center company and nearby neighbors should not be affected.

“The future looks like a growing Georgia, an economy where everyone across the state can participate, lower utility bills across the country because our wonderful partners are coming to town, they’re bringing the dollars, they’re investing in the electric grid,” Bridges said.

QTS, the company building the data center in Augusta near the Haynes Station neighborhood, said they are building a closed loop system. Each center requires an Olympic-sized swimming pool amount of water to start, but then it recycles that water for the rest of its time in use.

Jeff Greene, senior manager at QTS Data Centers, said QTS now only builds these closed loop centers.

Greene said they plan on each of their six buildings using 18,000 gallons of water a day just for flushing toilets and using sinks after the system is up and running.

“It just stays, it’s like a giant radiator, it will just keep cycling through, the water is heating and cooling constantly over and over again. And that’s a very different water consumption use than what typically used to happen, which was evaporative cooling. QTS went away from evaporative cooling in its data centers back in 2018,” Greene said.

Residents have pushed back against data centers in meetings, questioning how they would affect nearby neighbors. There is currently the QTS data center being built in Augusta, two data centers under construction in Columbia County and one in McDuffie County.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A 19-year-old employee of the Augusta Fire Department accused of unauthorized inspections has been arrested and is facing charges.

Tyrone Antonio Harris, Jr. has been charged with five counts of Impersonating a Public Officer or Employee.

Each bond has a charge of $9,000.

Earlier this month, the Richmond County School System sent a statement saying authorities were investigating after an Augusta Fire Department employee allegedly visited several schools and conducted what appeared to be fire inspections.

The schools Harris allegedly visited on April 27th include:

• Jamestown Elementary School
• Hephzibah Middle School
• Hephzibah High School
• Morgan Road Alternative School

He also reportedly also stopped by AAA Gun and Pawn Broker on Tobacco Road on that date.

On May 13, both Augusta Fire Department and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the situation was under investigation.

AFD reportedly informed RCSO they intended to put Harris on Administrative Leave for the incident in question.

The Deputy Fire Chief also expressed concern about social media posts about firearms that Harris is alleged to have posted earlier in the morning May 13^th.

The photo shown to the investigator allegedly showed Harris posing with two Glocks, both of which appeared to have been converted via a “Glock switch” to allow the firearm to function as a fully automatic weapon, also known as a machine pistol, according to the incident report filed in the case.

Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this week that the case had been referred to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, operated through the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.

WJBF has reached out to the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, but a spokesperson responded to our inquiry, saying, “Our investigation into Mr. Harris remains ongoing. We cannot comment further on active investigations.”

This is a developing story.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta has removed dozens of trees along Broad Street as engineers work to repair aging infrastructure. The city plans to replant, but questions remain about long-term maintenance.

Long-term neglect can lead to mold and rot and become a public safety threat, according to the city’s engineering director, who warned leaders about the issue before Hurricane Helene.

Historic trees at risk

In Augusta, one of Georgia’s oldest crape myrtles stands as a reminder of the city’s history. The southern crape myrtle was planted by the Spanish as far back as 1717, according to Sterling Mantlow, who specializes in ethical land management.

Mantlow pointed to signs of neglect on the historic tree, including brown growth, dead branches and lightning marks.

Without regular maintenance, the historic water oaks in Old Towne risk the same fate as the trees that once lined Broad Street.

Infrastructure damage revealed

Roots have strangled power meters and choked water lines, causing infrastructure damage that was invisible until construction workers cracked open Broad Street.

The excavation revealed layers of Augusta’s history, including brick that covered Broad Street more than 120 years ago. The layers show wood pipes, clay pipes and lead pipes from the 1960s.

Mantlow said the city has maintained and patched over time but never started fresh with all construction at once.

City requested funds for tree management

In 2022, the engineering director sent a request to city leaders for a SPLOST 8 project seeking $4 million for tree management and removal.

He wrote that the city has numerous unhealthy trees along its roadways that present significant hazard to the general public. He said removal, pruning and replacement would enhance public safety.

The request was made before Hurricane Helene hit. City leaders gave him $1 million for the project, a quarter of the funds he requested for tree maintenance.

Mantlow said if the city does not maintain new trees, the results will be known quickly.

Tree commission seats vacant

Augusta has a tree commission with 10 members appointed by commissioners plus two additional members appointed by the county’s legislative delegation. Currently, five of the seats are vacant.