Every number on this site comes from a public source.

Yellowhammer News, Apr 2026 — Grayson Everett, “An 800-acre data center is being quietly pushed in Lowndes County. Its neighbors are just finding out,” Yellowhammer News, April 2026.
https://yellowhammernews.com/an-800-acre-data-center-is-being-quietly-pushed-in-lowndes-county-its-neighbors-are-just-finding-out/

Lowndes Signal, Apr 2026 — Judge Adrian Johnson, quoted in “Opposition mounts against proposed data center,” The Lowndes Signal, April 2026 — describing 5M ft² facility, 3× county power, Meta's Hope Hull facility as Montgomery water system's single largest user.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/news/opposition-growing-against-proposed-data-center-bd05c398

Yellowhammer News — Judge Adrian Johnson, 23-year resident, in Yellowhammer News profile of Project Red Clay opposition — back fence ~900 yards from project timberline.
https://yellowhammernews.com/an-800-acre-data-center-is-being-quietly-pushed-in-lowndes-county-its-neighbors-are-just-finding-out/

DataCenterDynamics — “Cloverleaf Infrastructure secures $300m for clean energy data center campuses,” DataCenterDynamics, March 2026 — confirms NGP + Sandbrook investors and the Janous/Berry/Abebe founding team.
https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cloverleaf-infrastructure-secures-300m-for-clean-energy-data-center-campuses/

Cloverleaf own description — Cloverleaf Infrastructure describes itself as a developer of “clean-powered, ready-to-build sites” — acquiring land and power, then selling to hyperscale operators. Source: Cloverleaf and redclaydatacenter.com, both confirmed by Yellowhammer News reporting.
https://redclaydatacenter.com/

WSFA 12, Apr 30 2026 — Charlie King Jr., Lowndes County Commission Chairman, to WSFA 12 News — said the project “could create opportunities many residents need.”
https://www.wsfa.com/2026/04/30/lowndes-county-leaders-residents-continue-debate-over-proposed-project-red-clay-data-center/

Lowndes Signal, Apr 2026 — “Cloverleaf emphasizes data center benefits amid community concerns,” The Lowndes Signal — Farrior's anti-abatement motion failed; Harris recommended deferral.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/news/cloverleaf-emphasizes-data-center-benefits-amid-community-concerns-ecfd50df

Public record (Lowndes County) — Lowndes County Commission public meeting minutes through April 2026; commissioners not on record may be reached via the county clerk.

Lowndes Signal, project briefing — “Stakeholders consider potential data center project,” The Lowndes Signal — $1.5B investment claim, $75M projected net annual tax revenue.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/news/stakeholders-consider-potential-data-center-project-f0d8d387

Lowndes Signal, CACF — “CACF president discusses data center partnership,” The Lowndes Signal — $10M pledge structure: $1M up front; $4M after Energy Services Agreement + PSC approval; $5M over 5 years post-construction-start.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/news/cacf-president-discusses-data-center-partnership-2a099e45

Lowndes Signal, Cloverleaf interview — Aaron Bilyeu (Cloverleaf CDO), Michael Evans (Red Clay manager), and Danielle Decatur (VP Community Engagement), to The Lowndes Signal — “sit there quietly,” closed-loop cooling, ~100 cars/day, public meetings deferred.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/news/cloverleaf-emphasizes-data-center-benefits-amid-community-concerns-ecfd50df

Lowndes Signal, utility statement — Thomas Ellis, Lowndes County Economic Development Board chair, citing Alabama Power and PowerSouth assurances that current ratepayers will not be impacted — quoted in The Lowndes Signal.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/news/stakeholders-consider-potential-data-center-project-f0d8d387

WALB 10, Feb 2026; WTXL — Reporting from Georgia and across the U.S. on data-center load driving infrastructure costs onto residential ratepayers — coverage by WALB 10 and WTXL on the Lowndes County, GA fight and national context.
https://www.walb.com/2026/02/10/rural-communities-raise-concerns-data-centers-expand-across-georgia-beyond/

#45strong town hall calendar — Lowndesboro C.M.E. Church town hall, Sunday May 3, 5:00 PM — Lowndesboro, AL. Source: 45strong.net events listing.
https://45strong.net/meetings/

WSFA 12, Apr 29 2026 — “Residents pack Lowndes County meeting over proposed data center,” WSFA 12 News — Charles Smith Building, standing room only.
https://www.wsfa.com/2026/04/29/residents-pack-lowndes-county-meeting-over-proposed-data-center/

Yellowhammer News + Signal — Highway 80 Cafe community meeting (~100 residents) and pending public hearing at Lowndes County Courthouse, Hayneville — per Yellowhammer News and The Lowndes Signal.
https://yellowhammernews.com/an-800-acre-data-center-is-being-quietly-pushed-in-lowndes-county-its-neighbors-are-just-finding-out/

WTXL / WALB national context — More than 140 activist groups across 24 states pushing back against data-center projects; St. Charles, Missouri's 2025 1-year moratorium was the first U.S. city ban. WTXL and WALB reporting.
https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/lowndes-county/lowndes-county-citizens-push-back-on-potential-data-centers-during-town-hall

Lowndes Signal, May 2017 — “Former County Commissioner King charged with rape,” The Lowndes Signal, May 9, 2017 — Charlie King Jr., then 64, arrested for first-degree rape; released on $30,000 bond pending preliminary hearing in Lowndes County District Court.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/2017/05/09/former-county-commissioner-king-charged-with-rape/

Inside Climate News + Virginia Mercury — Virginia State Corporation Commission, Nov 2025 — approved a new electricity rate class for large-load customers (data centers >25 MW) effective Jan 2027. Typical Dominion residential customer faces an additional $11.24/mo in 2026 driven by data-center load. PJM capacity-market clearing prices rose 833% for 2025–2026. Sources: Inside Climate News, Virginia Mercury.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07012026/virginia-regulators-approve-new-dominion-rates/

US News, Apr 2026 — “'Living in Hell': Data Center Neighbors Grapple With Noise, Air Pollution,” U.S. News & World Report, April 28, 2026 — first-person reporting from residents downwind of hyperscale data centers (Northern Virginia, Michigan); headaches, vertigo, sleep disturbance, hypertension, ear pain.
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2026-04-28/living-in-hell-data-center-neighbors-grapple-with-noise-air-pollution

Fortune, Apr 2026 — “Data centers cost the U.S. economy $25 billion a year in hidden health and environmental damage,” Fortune, April 21, 2026 — UC researcher projects respiratory health costs from data centers reaching $20B/yr by 2028.
https://fortune.com/2026/04/21/data-centers-environmental-health-costs-25-billion/

Good Jobs First — “Cloudy Data, Costly Deals: How Poorly States Disclose Data Center Subsidies,” Good Jobs First — no state reports both jobs promised and jobs actually created; Illinois averages $1.4M public subsidy per data-center job; GA, VA, TX each lose >$1B/yr to data-center tax breaks.
https://goodjobsfirst.org/cloudy-data-costly-deals-how-poorly-states-disclose-data-center-subsidies/

Center for Biological Diversity, Apr 2026 — “California Agency Urged to Protect Public Health, Environment From Data Center Diesel Generators,” Apr 22, 2026 — diesel backup generators emit 200–600× more nitrogen oxides than equivalent natural-gas plants; during outages a single facility can release annual permitted emissions in days.
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/california-agency-urged-to-protect-public-health-environment-from-data-center-diesel-generators-2026-04-22/

WRI / Consumer Federation of America — World Resources Institute, “From Energy Use to Air Quality, the Many Ways Data Centers Affect US Communities,” and Consumer Federation of America, “In the Shadow of Big Tech: Part 3” — disproportionate siting of data centers in marginalized and overburdened census tracts; nearly one-third of California data centers in the top 10% most polluted census tracts.
https://www.wri.org/insights/us-data-center-growth-impacts

Lowndes Signal opinion — Bishop Aaron D. McCall, “Lowndes County isn't dying — it's killing itself,” The Lowndes Signal opinion column — Black Belt context, school enrollment, the political economy of accepting any development.
https://www.lowndessignal.com/opinion/lowndes-county-isnt-dying-its-killing-itself-fdb832ec/

Science / IFAW on habitat fragmentation — Habitat fragmentation research: Science Advances 2015 (Haddad et al.) — fragmented landscapes show ~12% fewer species; ~77% of Earth's land cover impacted by human activity; connectivity loss accounts for up to 90% of total predicted threats in highly fragmented landscapes.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1500052

GMU Schar School, Nov 2025 — George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government — “Data Centers and 2023 Home Sales in Northern Virginia.” Counterintuitive finding: homes closer to data centers in NoVA tended to sell for higher prices. Authors note this may reflect NoVA's pent-up housing demand and may not generalize to rural markets.
https://schar.gmu.edu/news/2025-11/study-home-prices-are-higher-when-house-near-data-center

EESI on noise + bills — Environmental and Energy Study Institute, “Communities Are Raising Noise Pollution Concerns About Data Centers” and “Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills” — sound above 65 dB elevates stress and blood pressure; cumulative residential bill impact across PJM/MISO regions documented.
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/communities-are-raising-noise-pollution-concernsabout-data-centers

DCD, Cloverleaf withdraws Greenleaf, WI — “Cloverleaf backs out of data center project in Greenleaf, Wisconsin,” DataCenterDynamics, January 2026. CDO Aaron Bilyeu's verbatim statement: “After speaking to leadership at the Village of Greenleaf and the Town of Wrightstown, Cloverleaf will not be pursuing datacenters.”
https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cloverleaf-backs-out-of-data-center-project-in-greenleaf-wisconsin/

DCD, Cloverleaf retracts Dundee, MI — “Cloverleaf drops initial plans for Michigan data center; council votes to block water supply,” DataCenterDynamics, October 2025. Cloverleaf acknowledged it “should have done more public communication and listening.”
https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cloverleaf-drops-initial-plans-for-michigan-data-center-council-votes-to-block-water-supply/

BizTimes, Port Washington flip — “Port Washington approves $8 billion Vantage Data Centers project,” BizTimes — Cloverleaf assembled and annexed 1,900 acres in Port Washington, Wisconsin (May 2025), then handed the package to Vantage Data Centers for an $8B campus.
https://biztimes.com/port-washington-approves-8-billion-vantage-data-centers-project/

New Project Media, Monroe County GA — “Cloverleaf Infrastructure proposes 300-acre expansion of 1.12 GW data center campus in Monroe County, GA,” New Project Media — operating through SPV Rum Creek DevCo LLC.
https://newprojectmedia.com/origination-cloverleaf-infrastructure-proposes-300-acre-expansion-of-1-12-gw-data-center-campus-in-monroe-county-ga/

Troy Times Tribune, Cloverleaf Troy IL — “Cloverleaf Infrastructure hopes to get lucky with plans for Troy data center,” Troy Times Tribune, January 14, 2026.
https://www.timestribunenews.com/2026/01/14/cloverleaf-infrastructure-hopes-to-get-lucky-with-plans-for-troy-data-center/

Alabama Reporter, HB399 sent to Governor — “Alabama Senate sends bill to limit data center tax breaks to Governor,” Alabama Reporter, April 10, 2026 — HB399 caps the data processing center property tax abatement at 20 years (down from 30) effective January 1, 2027, with a 30-year ceiling preserved only via a binding community-benefits agreement with the Alabama Departments of Revenue and Commerce.
https://www.alreporter.com/2026/04/10/alabama-senate-sends-bill-to-limit-data-center-tax-breaks-to-governor/

Axios, Cloverleaf takeover interest — “AI power broker Cloverleaf draws takeover interest,” Axios, February 18, 2026 — Cloverleaf described as “lining up massive deals securing land and city-scale electricity to fuel data centers.”
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/18/ai-energy-cloverleaf-takeover-deal

SELC / Greenlink Dec 2025 — Southern Environmental Law Center, citing a December 2025 Greenlink report — projected demand growth in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina has roughly a 0.2% probability of materializing as forecast.
https://www.selc.org/news/experts-say-data-center-growth-is-speculative/

Utility Dive, FERC rejects Talen-Amazon — “FERC rejects amended interconnection service agreement,” Utility Dive — November 2024 (and on rehearing April 2025), FERC rejected the behind-the-meter expansion at Talen's Susquehanna nuclear plant; Talen and Amazon restructured into a 17-year, $18B grid-connected PPA in June 2025. Federal regulatory environment for behind-the-meter and co-located data center power is being rebuilt in real time.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-interconnection-isa-talen-amazon-data-center-susquehanna-exelon/731841/

EJI on DOJ termination — “U.S. Justice Department abandons Lowndes County residents suffering longstanding sewage problems,” Equal Justice Initiative — the Trump-era DOJ terminated the May 2023 Title VI interim resolution agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health on April 11, 2025.
https://eji.org/news/u-s-justice-department-abandons-lowndes-county-residents-suffering-longstanding-sewage-problems/

Wilson Sonsini, Cloverleaf $300M raise — “Wilson Sonsini Advises Cloverleaf on $300 Million Capital Raise,” Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati — Cloverleaf's $300M round (July 2024) was led by NGP's Sustainable Infrastructure platform and Sandbrook Capital, which is anchored by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
https://www.wsgr.com/en/insights/wilson-sonsini-advises-cloverleaf-on-dollar300-million-capital-raise.html

ProPublica, CACF Form 990 — Central Alabama Community Foundation — IRS Form 990 (EIN 63-0842355), ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. ~$107M in charitable assets. The CACF gift-agreement terms with Cloverleaf, including the administrative-fee structure and disbursement schedule, are not public; we have requested them.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/630842355

Illinois Answers, Edwardsville emails — “Edwardsville Officials Assured Residents on Facebook the City Had ‘No Formal Proposal’ For a Data Center — But City Emails Tell a Fuller Story,” Illinois Answers Project, February 21, 2026. Two dozen emails obtained via public records show nearly a year of detailed Cloverleaf-Edwardsville discussions about land surveys, special-use permitting, and engineering — while city officials publicly told residents there was no formal proposal.
https://illinoisanswers.org/2026/02/21/edwardsville-officials-assured-residents-on-facebook-the-city-had-no-formal-proposal-for-a-data-center-but-city-emails-tell-a-fuller-story/

First Alert 4, Troy IL packed meeting — “Hundreds pack Troy data center meeting held by developer, as residents push back on controversial project,” First Alert 4 News, February 11, 2026. Triad High School cafeteria filled to capacity; mayor subsequently proposed a project moratorium. Coalition: Troy Residents for Responsible Growth.
https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/02/11/hundreds-pack-troy-data-center-meeting-held-by-developer-residents-push-back-controversial-project/

Data Center Watch, $64B blocked — Data Center Watch report tracking $64 billion in U.S. data center projects blocked or delayed by community opposition; nearly 200 active community groups across more than 24 states. The most comprehensive registry of the national movement.
https://www.datacenterwatch.org/report

NC Health News, Northampton moratorium — “Northampton County adopts a data center pause,” North Carolina Health News, May 8, 2026. Northampton County Commissioners adopted a 32-month moratorium following community organizing led by activist Belinda Joyner; pro-moratorium petition presented with ~300 signatures.
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/05/08/northampton-data-center-moratorium/

WRAL, Durham 60-day moratorium — “Durham City Council passes 60-day moratorium on data center development,” WRAL, May 2026. Durham, NC city council adopted a 60-day project moratorium amid community pushback.
https://www.wral.com/news/local/durham-city-council-data-center-meeting-may-2026/

WPR, Manitowoc Wisconsin moratorium — “Manitowoc County committee recommends 1-year moratorium on data center permitting,” Wisconsin Public Radio, 2026. County committee recommendation following community organizing.
https://www.wpr.org/news/manitowoc-county-committee-recommends-moratorium-data-center-permitting

MultiState, Port Washington referendum — “State Data Center Moratorium & Ballot Measure Trends 2026,” MultiState. Port Washington, WI voters approved a measure requiring voter approval for tax incentives on data center projects, after Cloverleaf flipped 1,900 acres assembled there to Vantage Data Centers.
https://www.multistate.us/insider/2026/5/7/voters-target-data-centers-with-local-and-statewide-ballot-measures

VPM / WUNC, NC primary upset — “Data center opposition is ‘catching a fire’ across North Carolina politics,” VPM / WUNC, May 2026. David Batts mounted a successful primary challenge to a 16-year incumbent in North Carolina, running primarily on opposition to a proposed data center.
https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-05-05/wunc-data-center-opposition-political-challenges-north-carolina

Frontiers in Climate, Virginia health study 2026 — “Health implications of the rapid rise of data centers in Virginia: an exploratory assessment,” Frontiers in Climate, 2026. Models project U.S. data centers could contribute to ~1,300 deaths per year by 2030 with public-health burden in excess of $20 billion annually.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/climate/articles/10.3389/fclim.2026.1648912/full

Harvard Gazette, community pushback — “Why are communities pushing back against data centers?,” Harvard Gazette, April 2026. Academic synthesis of the national community-opposition movement and its drivers.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/04/why-are-communities-pushing-back-against-data-centers/

American Action Forum, VA SCC large-load class — “Virginia's New Data Center Electricity Rate Class,” American Action Forum analysis. Virginia State Corporation Commission approved a new GS-5 large-load rate class (≥25 MW customers) effective January 2027 — affected customers must pay for ≥85% of contracted distribution + transmission demand and ≥60% of generation demand. Model that ratepayer-protection coalitions are urging other states to adopt.
https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/virginias-new-data-center-electricity-rate-class/

EESI on Ohio +$16/mo + demand drop — “Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills,” EESI. Ohio residents pay roughly $16 more per month due to PJM capacity costs related to data center expansion. After Ohio adopted ratemaking provisions similar to Virginia's, data center demand requests fell from 30 GW to 13 GW — concrete proof that protective regulation reshapes demand projections.
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-center-power-demands-are-contributing-to-higher-energy-bills

Alabama Reflector, Lindsay Hill purchase — “Alabama PSC approves Alabama Power's request for rate freeze,” Alabama Reflector, December 3, 2025. The PSC approved Alabama Power's purchase of the Lindsay Hill natural gas generating station in Billingsley to address a forecasted surge in data-center electricity demand. SELC argues the load forecast supporting the purchase is approximately 0.2% likely to materialize.
https://alabamareflector.com/2025/12/03/alabama-psc-approves-alabama-powers-request-for-rate-freeze/

DataCenter Knowledge, Microsoft Quincy energy — “Microsoft's Energy Practices in Quincy Under Fire,” DataCenter Knowledge, September 2012. Microsoft was reported to have wasted megawatts of electricity at its Quincy, Washington data center to reduce a $210,000 fine from Grant County PUD for using less power than committed. Reporting also documented soaring diesel-generator usage and emissions at Microsoft data centers in Quincy and Santa Clara during this era.
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/09/25/microsoft-quincy-energy-practices-under-fire

Latitude Media, Cloverleaf 10–15 GW pipeline — “Investors embrace Cloverleaf's energy-first approach to data centers,” Latitude Media. Cloverleaf is pursuing projects totaling 10 to 15 gigawatts of peak power capacity across all its sites — Lowndes is one node in a much larger national pipeline.
https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/investors-embrace-cloverleafs-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers/

OTPP Sustainable Investing — Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan public sustainability commitments — the pension fund anchoring Sandbrook Capital, which co-led Cloverleaf's $300M raise. Defines responsible investing as integrating material sustainability-related risks throughout the investment process and generating positive impact on the people and communities investments touch.
https://www.otpp.com/responsibleinvesting

Lowndes sanitation documentary record — Documentary record of the Lowndes County sanitation crisis, used as background for environmental-justice context: (1) the 2018 Title VI Civil Rights Act complaint filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ), documenting heavy clay soil that prevents septic systems from working and the use of straight pipes for raw sewage discharge; (2) the 2017 visit by United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Philip Alston, who described the conditions as a human-rights violation; (3) Baylor University research (American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene) finding 34% of tested Lowndes residents positive for hookworm.

Michigan FOIA: Evans email, Sept 23 2025 — Michael Evans, Development Principal, Cloverleaf Infrastructure. Email titled "Cloverleaf vs. Other Developments (Draft)," sent September 23, 2025, 10:35 AM, to Roger Lewis (Dundee Township Supervisor), Tim Bordine, and Ryan Rudzis (Village of Dundee). Cc: Aaron Bilyeu (Cloverleaf CDO). Released through Michigan's Freedom of Information Act after the Dundee withdrawal. Operative paragraph reproduced verbatim: "Just this week, another proposal has surfaced in Howell Township seeking to rezone large tracts of farmland into industrial use. CBRE, a national real estate firm, presented the Howell property to us in April. We made the decision not to pursue it, because Cloverleaf will not work in communities where this type of development is unwelcome or the development does not match the existing use for the land. That is a decision we will make ten times out of ten. In Saline Township, another developer is now suing the township over its rezoning denial, an approach Cloverleaf does not support and will never take."

LCEDC Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws — Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. Filed with the Alabama Secretary of State on May 29, 2013; reproduced in the LCEDC Public Inspection Notebook released May 20, 2026. Article 4 of the Articles of Incorporation and Article II, Section 8 of the Bylaws establish the contribution-tier board structure: a $2,500 annual contribution buys a voting board seat; a $5,000-or-greater annual contribution buys a seat on the Executive Committee, which the Bylaws grant authority to act between full board meetings. Article 3(d) of the Articles of Incorporation defines the corporate purpose to include cooperating with all utilities serving Lowndes County. The current board has 13 directors.

LCEDC IRS Form 990 (FY2024) — Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, IRS Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (EIN 46-3011080), signed by Chairman Thomas Ellis under penalty of perjury and included in the May 2026 Public Inspection Notebook. The 501(c)(6) business league reports ~$94,500 in annual revenue, zero employees, $214,386 in net assets, and operations outsourced to Byard Associates LLC. Schedule O answers four core governance questions in the negative: no written conflict-of-interest policy, no whistleblower policy, no document retention and destruction policy, no process for review of executive or contractor compensation.

Pintlala Water System board roster and Thomas Ellis dual role — The Pintlala Water System is a shareholder-owned cooperative serving parts of Lowndes County. Its current five-director board, per 45strong coalition records published at /pintlala-water: Wayne Hatcher, Thomas Ellis, John Meadows, Tim Wilsford, Stan Cook. Thomas Ellis is concurrently the President of the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission, the body recruiting Project Red Clay. The same individual who would vote on whether Pintlala Water supplies the data center is the same individual recruiting the data center to Lowndes County. Ellis also sits on the Dixie Electric Cooperative board (one of four utilities serving Lowndes County), the Alabama Rural Water Association, the Alabama Cattleman's Association, and the Alabama Agricultural Development Authority.