A wave of opposition is mounting across Georgia against cryptocurrency mining, the process of creating Bitcoin and other virtual currencies through extensive server farm operations. Concerns over noise, resource consumption, and minimal job creation have ignited debates and led to actions in several rural communities.
In the North Georgia mountains, residents of Gilmer County successfully opposed a proposed rezoning to accommodate a cryptocurrency server farm. Just north of Gilmer, the Fannin County Commission has enacted a ban on crypto mining. Meanwhile, the Southern Georgia Regional Commission, representing 18 primarily rural counties, has introduced a model ordinance that counties can use to restrict the development of cryptocurrency farms.
Critics argue that these server farms are extremely noisy, impose significant strains on electricity and water resources, and fail to generate sufficient employment to justify their presence. “It’s the biggest con on the public ever,” stated Cyndie Roberson, cofounder of Gilmer County Citizens Against Crypto Mining. Her group mobilized hundreds of residents to a county planning commission meeting to oppose the project. “So many attended, people were wrapped around the courthouse,” Roberson recounted.
The issue reached the state legislature during this year’s session, with a bill proposing a sales tax exemption for equipment purchased for cryptocurrency server farms and prohibiting local governments from enacting noise ordinances specifically targeting crypto mining. However, the bill did not pass.
Georgia currently ranks second in the nation for cryptocurrency mining, trailing only Texas. Roberson’s group has identified 30 cryptocurrency mining operations in 20 communities statewide, from Rome and Dalton in the northwest to Swainsboro, Sandersville, and Brooklet in the southeast.
Proponents of the industry, like Bo Ginn, who manages the Sandersville crypto mining operation for Nevada-based Cleanspark Inc., argue that it brings significant technological advancements and economic benefits to rural areas. “Bitcoin mining is more than just an economic activity,” Ginn told state lawmakers in February. “It brings substantial investment, innovation, and job creation to Georgia, especially to our rural communities.”
However, not all lawmakers are convinced. Rep. Penny Houston, R-Nashville, shared her constituents’ frustrations with a crypto mining server farm in Adel. “The noise is absolutely atrocious,” she said. “They bring no money in, no jobs in, except for people who are there guarding the place.” Houston also highlighted the excessive electricity consumption of these operations, which impacts Georgia’s power grid. The state legislature recently passed a bill, later vetoed by Governor Brian Kemp, that would have temporarily suspended a tax break aimed at attracting more data centers to Georgia. “We’ve built two nuclear reactors over at Plant Vogtle, and we’re using so much power, we’re going to have to build another one,” Houston said. “When we have to build another reactor, it’s going to be the taxpayers of this state who have to pay for it.”
Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, who introduced the cryptocurrency bill, acknowledged that it is not a top priority for the 2025 General Assembly session. However, he emphasized the need for legislative action on the issue. The model ordinance, which allows for the development of crypto mining operations under specific standards for noise levels and appearance, may serve as a starting point. “I think those who are seeking to move these here would be amenable to reasonable accommodations,” Hilton suggested.
Bob Sherrier, a staff attorney with the Atlanta-based Southern Environmental Law Center, advocated for local regulation of crypto mining operations rather than state control. “Some industrial areas suitable for a server farm are next to residential,” Sherrier said. “It should be within the control of local government to say, ‘That area’s OK, and that area’s not.'”
As the debate continues, the future of cryptocurrency mining in Georgia remains uncertain, with local communities and state legislators weighing the economic benefits against the environmental and social impacts.