SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — August 29, 2026 — Effingham County residents were given an extensive look at Project Camellia on Saturday as the Effingham County Board of Commissioners held a public work session focused on the proposed large-scale data center development and the questions surrounding it.
The three-hour session was held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Effingham County Administration Complex in Springfield. County officials had promoted the workshop as an opportunity to provide residents with a comprehensive look at the project, its history, efforts to address community concerns and the potential benefits to Effingham County.
County Manager Tim Callanan Leads Comprehensive Presentation
A highlight of Saturday’s workshop was the detailed presentation led by Effingham County Manager Tim Callanan.
From beginning to end, Callanan worked through the history and development of Project Camellia in an organized manner, providing context on how the county reached its current point in the process and addressing many of the subjects that have generated questions throughout the community.
The presentation followed a broad agenda that included:
- History of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority
- Site concept plan and site history
- Zoning history
- Project Camellia timeline
- PILOT information
- Permitting process
- Water
- Noise
- Power
- Taxes and benefits
- Project Zero
- Questions and comments from the public
The format was particularly valuable because it allowed residents to hear the project explained as a complete timeline rather than examining individual issues in isolation.
Callanan has previously emphasized that Project Camellia remains subject to multiple steps in the development process. The final Development of Regional Impact report was released Aug. 26, and the county is expected to move next into preliminary site-plan review, followed by more detailed reviews involving wetlands, stormwater, land-disturbance requirements and other applicable regulations.
Commissioners Take Questions From Residents
Another important part of Saturday’s workshop was the opportunity for residents to speak directly to county leaders.
Members of the Board of Commissioners answered questions and addressed concerns raised by the public, creating an opportunity for residents to hear responses directly from the officials involved in the county’s decision-making process.
The question-and-answer portion was significant because Project Camellia has generated considerable community discussion surrounding infrastructure, water usage, electricity, noise, environmental impacts, taxes and the long-term effects of a development of this size.
Rather than avoiding those subjects, Saturday’s workshop put many of them at the center of the conversation.
Water, Noise and Power Among Major Topics
County officials have recently released additional information addressing several of the most frequently discussed issues.
On water, the county says Project Camellia is planned to use a closed-loop cooling system that recirculates water rather than continuously consuming new water for evaporative cooling. According to the county, the project would use treated surface water rather than groundwater from the Floridan aquifer, and actual water-use information is expected to be made public once the campus is operating and included in an annual independent audit.
On noise, current plans call for power generation to remain offsite, with no diesel backup generators planned for use after completion. Plans also include a minimum 300-foot vegetative buffer along neighboring non-industrial properties. The county says the facility will be required to comply with its Noise Control Ordinance, while OpenAI has committed to perimeter noise monitoring and regular noise-data updates.
Power has also been a major subject of public interest. Georgia Power’s contract with OpenAI was recently approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission and provides for up to 3,200 megawatts of electricity for the campus at full buildout. Georgia Power has said OpenAI will pay the infrastructure costs required to serve the project.
Potential Financial Impact Discussed
The potential economic benefits of Project Camellia have also become a major part of the county’s discussion.
Effingham County recently projected that taxable activity associated with the development could generate more than $43 million annually across SPLOST, TSPLOST, LOST and ESPLOST by 2032, although officials caution those figures remain projections and will depend on factors including construction schedules, economic conditions and taxable sales.
Project Camellia is also being connected to the county’s Project Zero initiative and potential property-tax relief. County and development authority officials recently announced plans that could provide approximately six mills of combined property-tax relief this year if the pending county reduction is approved.
Commissioners Extend Workshop to Ensure Citizens Are Heard
One of the most notable moments of the workshop came as the meeting moved well beyond its originally scheduled ending time.
With residents still waiting for an opportunity to speak, the Effingham County Board of Commissioners allowed the workshop to continue approximately an hour and a half longer than scheduled so that citizens who wanted to address the board could have that opportunity.
Rather than ending the meeting when the scheduled time arrived, commissioners continued listening to questions, comments and concerns from the public. The extended session gave residents additional time to discuss issues surrounding Project Camellia and receive responses directly from county leadership.
The decision to continue the workshop was an important demonstration of public engagement. With a project of this size generating significant interest throughout Effingham County, allowing additional time ensured the discussion was not simply limited by the clock.
It also reinforced one of the primary purposes of Saturday’s workshop: providing information while giving Effingham County citizens an opportunity to be heard.
The additional 90 minutes, combined with County Manager Tim Callanan’s comprehensive presentation and the commissioners’ responses to public questions, made the workshop an extensive community discussion surrounding Project Camellia and its potential impact on Effingham County.
An Important Step in Keeping the Public Informed
Saturday’s workshop demonstrated the importance of giving residents an opportunity to receive information, ask questions and hear directly from their elected and appointed officials.
Regardless of where individual residents stand on Project Camellia, a development of this magnitude deserves detailed public discussion. The comprehensive presentation by County Manager Tim Callanan, combined with commissioners’ willingness to respond to questions from the public, helped provide additional information about both the potential opportunities and the concerns surrounding the project.
The workshop also made clear that Saturday was not the end of the process. Additional technical reviews, permitting requirements and site-plan consideration remain ahead. The preliminary site plan is currently expected to come before commissioners on Sept. 14.
For Effingham County, Project Camellia represents one of the largest and most consequential economic-development proposals the community has faced. Saturday’s meeting provided residents with something particularly important as that process continues: the opportunity to become informed, ask questions and hear answers directly from county leadership.
To view the workshop go to:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9wRzS6f2pHHZG3IgRk3OUQ
Effingham Premier will continue following Project Camellia and providing updates as additional information becomes available and the project moves through the county’s review process.
