Data centers are coming to Mobile County. Don't let them be decided without you.
Several data centers are being proposed around the county, and the companies behind them are already making their case to officials. This site lays out the rest of the story: what each project would actually mean for the people nearby, what's being promised, what isn't being said, and who casts the votes. It isn't run by any developer or by the county, and every fact on it comes from a source you can check for yourself.
These decisions last for decades, and the people already living here are the ones who live with them.
Once a data center is built, it doesn't go away. The traffic, the emissions, and the water and power it uses can stay for decades, long after the people who promised them have moved on. In Prichard, that means a new industrial neighbor right next to Africatown, a community that already carries more than its share of pollution. Near Calvert, up in the north end of the county, it means a hyperscale campus dropped onto rural land close to people's homes and farms.
Data centers are going to get built somewhere. The real questions are where they go, who pays for them, and whether the people who will live next to one get a real say before it's approved.
What's being proposed, and where.
There are two of them, from different companies and in different parts of the county, and a different board decides each. Here's where they stand.
Edged: “Project Gateway”
214 Telegraph Road, next to Africatown
| Size | ~6–8 MW “networking” · ~9 acres |
| Investment | ~$93 million |
| Permanent jobs | ~20 (none signed) |
| Who decides | Prichard City Council |
Beacon: Calvert Infrastructure Hub
650-acre parcel between Hwy 43 and Shepard House Rd, near the county line
| Size | 95-acre hub of 650 · AI campus · 1st building 2027 |
| Investment | ~$6 billion (company estimate) |
| Power draw | Not publicly disclosed |
| Permanent jobs | ~250 (~1,000 construction) |
| Who decides | Mobile County Commission |
The questions worth asking.
A handful of questions come up with almost any data center: power, water, air, noise, taxes, and jobs. Here's what's known about each for the two Mobile County projects. These are the ones raised most often, not the only ones that matter, so if something else is on your mind it belongs in the conversation too.
Power & your bill
A data center runs around the clock. Who pays to upgrade the grid to feed it, and whether that shows up on nearby power bills.
02Water
How the cooling works, what "closed-loop" actually means on site, and how much water each project would draw.
03Diesel & air
The backup diesel generators, how often they run, and what they add to the air in an area that already lives with a lot of industry.
04Noise
The cooling fans and generators run day and night. How loud that is at the fence line, and how far the low hum carries to the nearest homes.
05Taxes & who pays
The tax breaks projects like these typically seek, the jobs required in return, and what local schools and services trade away in the deal.
06Jobs, the real numbers
How many permanent jobs are actually promised, how many are in writing, and whether they'd go to people who live here.
Be there before the vote.
These meetings often get scheduled with barely any notice. Leave your email, and your number if you want text reminders, and we'll let you know when and where to show up.