Families Selling Homes to Support AI Data Center Demands

WHO:

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Holly Lovett is a spokesperson for Georgia Power.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Ansley Brown, a homeowner in Georgia, and her mother are involved in the situation regarding their property.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Georgia Power, a utility giant, is the company planning to build a new transmission line.

WHAT:

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Ansley Brown stated that her mother recently came to an agreement with Georgia Power to sell their property.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Brown described the situation as "theft" by a billion-dollar company from smaller property owners.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Homeowners in Georgia are facing an ultimatum to sell their homes or risk having them taken by the state.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Georgia Power estimates that 70-80% of the power from the new transmission line will serve data centers, with the remaining 20-30% for residential and commercial demand.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Georgia Power needs to acquire more than 300 parcels of land, including residential properties, to build the new transmission line.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Brown's family home was built when she was 5 or 6 years old and is one of the properties affected.

WHERE:

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - The situation is occurring in Georgia, specifically affecting rural areas where the transmission line will be built.

WHY:

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - The demand for power has outpaced the capacity of Georgia Power's existing grid, necessitating the construction of a new transmission line to support the growing number of data centers.

HOW:

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Georgia Power stated that eminent domain "is always … a last resort for us and it's something we never want to do."

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Georgia Power claimed they "have worked hard to be transparent, negotiate in good faith" and "make the process as easy as possible."

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Georgia Power may use eminent domain to acquire properties, a legal process that allows private property to be taken for public purposes with compensation.

[12:49 PM EDT] - CBS News - Brown stated that her family felt bullied by Georgia Power throughout the process, indicating a lack of negotiation power for smaller property owners.

(UPDATED July 13, 2026 19:23 UTC)

Georgia Power spokesperson Holly Lovett has responded to claims made by Ansley Brown, who alleges that her mother recently reached an agreement to sell their property, describing the situation as "theft" by a billion-dollar company. In defense, Georgia Power stated that eminent domain is always a last resort and something they never want to pursue. They also emphasized their efforts to be transparent, negotiate in good faith, and make the process as easy as possible for property owners.

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(UPDATED July 13, 2026 18:29 UTC)

Homeowners in Georgia, including Ansley Brown and her mother, are facing an ultimatum from Georgia Power, which plans to build a new transmission line that will require the acquisition of over 300 parcels of land, including their family home. The utility company estimates that 70 to 80 percent of the power from this new line will be directed to data centers, with the remaining supply catering to residential and commercial needs. Brown expressed that her family feels bullied by Georgia Power during this process, highlighting the challenges smaller property owners face when dealing with potential eminent domain actions.