08 · SOURCES5 min
SUMTER FIELD DESK
The evidence desk
Where do the numbers come from?
Primary local and state sources
| Topic | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal water source | City of Americus 2024 Water Quality Report | Confirms groundwater wells; contains unrelated editing errors elsewhere |
| Withdrawal permit | Georgia EPD water-withdrawal lists | Links the official non-farm groundwater permit spreadsheet |
| Advertised infrastructure | Sumter County Development Authority | Plant, consumption, and wastewater marketing figures |
| July 21 meeting | Official county calendar | Confirms July 21, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., 500 West Lamar Street, and public access |
| Agendas | County Agenda Center | Newer agenda interface; separate from legacy archive |
| Georgia data-center power context | Georgia PSC Data Center Fact Sheet | State load projections, approvals, and ratepayer protections |
| Residential solar tariff | Georgia Power FAQ | 2026 export compensation and 10 kW AC limit |
| Open records and open meetings | Georgia's Sunshine Laws, Office of the Attorney General | Request procedure, deadlines, fees, exemptions, and meeting-notice rules; see records and officials |
| County records procedure | Sumter County Open Records Request Form | Address, fax, and options the county publishes for requests |
Federal and technical sources
| Topic | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 county water use | USGS Georgia water-use data | Historical city and county withdrawals |
| Groundwater history | USGS Open-File Report 96-483 | Historical cones of depression and regional assessment |
| Cooling-tower water | Department of Energy method | Full-load water table by tonnage and cycles of concentration |
| Dry cooling | ASHRAE integrated design principles | Near-zero cooling water for true dry closed-loop designs |
| Virginia sound impacts | JLARC Data Centers in Virginia | Complaint measurements, resident reports, and siting context |
| Large-load grid events | NERC presentation to FERC | 1,500 and 1,800 MW Virginia load-loss events |
| Generator fuel | Caterpillar 3516B specification | Representative diesel ratings and fuel use |
| Natural-gas turbine | Solar Turbines Titan 130 | Representative output and heat rate |
| CO₂ comparisons | EPA typical passenger vehicle | Diesel and passenger-vehicle factors |
| Natural-gas CO₂ | EIA emission coefficients | 52.91 kg CO₂ per million Btu |
| Solar and storage costs | NREL Q1 2023 benchmark | Historical 8 kW / 12.5 kWh modeled benchmark |
Secondary or limited sources
These may provide useful leads but should not carry a decisive claim alone:
- FindEnergy county electricity estimate
- News coverage of resident complaints
- Advocacy-group potential-emissions calculations
- Manufacturer marketing claims without project equipment schedules
- Videos and informal field measurements
Source-handling rule
For every public statement, ask:
- Is this source about this project or only about data centers generally?
- Is the number measured, permitted, advertised, modeled, or assumed?
- What year and operating condition does it describe?
- Does the source include a limitation that changes the meaning?
- Can the claim be stated in one sentence without losing that limitation?