10/05/2026
Coosa Riverkeeper is troubled by the rapid pace of data center expansion in rural Alabama, happening with lax regulations, little community input, and limited protections for our natural resources.
Coosa Riverkeeper works in 12 counties across Alabama. Our team is doing our best to fulfill our mission to protect the Coosa River, but are unfortunately understaffed and underfunded to be able to do it all. We have to make difficult decisions on when, where, and how we engage in issues. Our plan to protect this river is strategic and we are currently focused on systemic issues that have large cumulative impact such as PFAS contamination, over 21 million tons of toxic coal ash sitting in groundwater on the river, and a proposed graphite mine threatening some of the last truly wild parts of the watershed.
We are working to support and serve as a resource for communities facing the threats of data centers. We will do that to the best of our ability with the limited resources we have; however, the primary obstacle we are facing is the lack of planning and zoning laws in many communities. In rural areas with no planning and zoning laws, private land owners have the freedom to develop their land as they see fit.
We are committed to providing resources, policy support, speaking to local elected officials and community meetings, and providing technical reviews and comments on data center permits from state agencies. We will take your concerns to Montgomery in the 2027 Legislative Session.
We have collaborated with our partners to create a Data Center Advocacy Toolkit to help guide communities facing the threat of a data center be educated and empowered to protect their community, livelihood, and natural resources. The toolkit includes: how to advocate against a data center, how to pass an ordinance, examples of commonsense guardrails to protect our water resources, and so much more. Click the link in the comments to check it out!
