A group of state lawmakers introduced new legislation to ensure Georgia Power residential customers aren’t on the hook for the cost of data center operations.

Kohan Retail Investment Group resolved the problem and power was restored, but this wasn’t its first mall blackout for the same reason.

Snow and ice, combined with brutal cold, are expected in North Georgia, potentially causing tree and power line damage. Georgia Power is on high alert, preparing crews and utilizing a self-healing grid to address potential power outages quickly.

Atlanta is a vibrant market with a growing population and a robust economy that has been open for business even through the pandemic, Georgia Banking Company CEO Bartow Morgan said. Heading into 2025, developers are less nervous than in the past few years and simply waiting for interest rates and project costs to align.

Georgia Power officials said they had been working with Town Center at Cobb for several months to resolve the payments and disconnecting service at the mall was a “last resort.”

(FOX 5) What they're saying: Georgia Power issued the following statement to FOX 5 Atlanta: "We work with Georgia Power customers every day to address past due bills and make payment arrangements ...

Officials say the amount of energy Georgia's booming data center industry needs is "staggering" and are hoping a new rule will help keep the cost away from normal ratepayers.

Atlanta is one of the hottest places in the country for tech companies to build data centers, hulking warehouses filled with servers that power web services, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

A potentially precedent-setting legal battle aims to decide whether a railroad can use eminent domain in one of Georgia’s poorest counties to build a rail spur to serve private businesses.

It’s really up to leadership here in the state to continue to protect the progress we made,” said Brionte McCorkle, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters.

Kohan Realty Group faced foreclosure last summer before refinancing the mall with new debt that matures in February 2026.

Georgia Power could start charging data center operators more for power under a new rule approved by state utility regulators.