Daily Digest — July 9, 2026
Nashville Advances Multiple Bills to Block DC BLOX Data Center Near Zoo
Nashville's Metro Council held a marathon public hearing where over 170 residents spoke against data center development, with testimony extending past 1:30 a.m., according to WPLN News and the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The council advanced several pieces of legislation through their second of three required readings:
- **BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1392**, sponsored by Council member Rollin Horton, would establish new zoning rules for data centers, including a ban on the largest facilities and buffer zones near sensitive areas like schools and hospitals
- **BL2026-1448**, sponsored by Council member Courtney Johnston, proposes a temporary moratorium on data center permits until new zoning regulations are in place
- Separate eminent domain legislation filed by Mayor Freddie O'Connell to condemn the land near the Nashville Zoo where DC BLOX plans a $700 million facility, which passed its first reading
All three zoning and moratorium bills are expected to be considered for amendments and a final vote at the July 21 Metro Council meeting, as reported by the Tennessean.
DC BLOX issued a statement claiming productive discussions with the mayor and zoo leadership and offering to reduce noise, limit water use, and potentially shrink the project. Mayor O'Connell publicly disputed this characterization on social media, calling it "inaccurate, wishful thinking, divorced from reality," according to WKRN News 2. The Nashville Zoo also rejected the possibility of compromise, stating the project is "simply the wrong project for that location" and expressing unwillingness to let their animals be an "experiment" regarding long-term tonal noise exposure.
Council Member Courtney Johnston told FOX Nashville that the zoning and moratorium bills alone may not be sufficient to stop the project since DC BLOX has already submitted its permit application. Johnston is now focusing on an appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals next month, arguing the company applied under an incorrect classification within Metro's zoning code. If successful, the permit could be rejected, forcing DC BLOX to reapply under conditions that new legislation might address. Johnston noted this path may be more effective than eminent domain, which she expects would trigger lawsuits.
The Nashville Zoo's petition opposing the project has garnered over 540,000 signatures. Environmental groups including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Southern Environmental Law Center have raised concerns about noise and light disturbances to wildlife, including endangered clouded leopards and the native Nashville crayfish. Residents also raised concerns about a separate proposed data center at Fisk University, though Mayor O'Connell differentiated the two projects, praising Fisk's stated commitment to "do no harm."
Why Nashville will struggle to block the DC BLOX data center near zoo
WPLN News
Data center bills moving forward
WKRN News 2
Metro Council member points to Board of Zoning appeals to stop data center near zoo
FOX NASHVILLE
Nearly 175 residents spoke against proposed Nashville data centers. Here's what some have to say.
Tennessean
Nashvillians support data center regulations at another marathon public hearing
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Marietta Tables Data Center Rezoning, Approves Moratorium Through December
The Marietta City Council voted to table a controversial data center rezoning request for nearly 11 acres on Powers Ferry Place and approved a temporary moratorium on all new data center projects effective through December 31, according to FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First. The rezoning application, filed by Prime Storage, a subsidiary of Prime Group Holdings, sought to convert a portion of a 90,000-square-foot facility into a data center near an existing facility at 1130 Powers Ferry Place.
The decision followed hours of intense community protests, with residents packing City Hall to voice concerns about noise pollution, water pollution, public health impacts, and broader implications of artificial intelligence, as reported by the Atlanta Community Press Collective. The Marietta Planning Commission had previously given the rezoning a divided 4-3 favorable recommendation. Developer Chuck Clay defended the facility at the council meeting, emphasizing its role as a "transmission of information center."
State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez (D-District 42) publicly spoke against the project, framing it as a struggle by working-class residents against corporate interests. A city staff analysis was largely unsupportive of the location due to environmental concerns and misalignment with Marietta's long-range comprehensive plan, according to the Atlanta Community Press Collective.
The moratorium also follows separate community backlash against a previously approved 31-acre data center near Bells Ferry and Interstate 75, where neighbors claimed inadequate notification about public hearings, as reported by WSB-TV. City staff had recommended approving the moratorium. The tabled Powers Ferry Place proposal is expected to be revisited in August, according to Atlanta News First.
Proposed data center on Powers Ferry Place in Marietta faces backlash
Atlanta Community Press Collective
Marietta data center rezoning: Freeze approved after massive public outcry
FOX 5 Atlanta
Marietta City Council tables vote on proposed data center
Atlanta News First
Marietta tables data center, imposes six-month moratorium
Marietta Daily Journal
Metro Atlanta city council to vote on data center moratorium
WSB-TV
Fort Worth Zoning Commission Rejects Proposed Data Center Regulations in 7-4 Vote
Fort Worth's zoning commissioners voted 7-4 to deny a proposed data center zoning and development ordinance, sending it back to the City Council for further review, according to the Fort Worth Report. Commissioners cited the need for more stringent regulations, greater detail, and additional time to consider what would be the city's first data center-specific zoning framework.
The proposed regulations included:
- Prohibition of cryptocurrency mining as a primary use
- Minimum 250-foot setbacks from residential properties, up from the current 20-foot industrial standard
- Standby generators located at least 300 feet from homes
- Acoustic barriers required for rooftop cooling equipment
- Landscaping requirements including continuous rows of evergreen trees to screen residential areas
- Limitations on lighting near residential zones
More than 20 residents spoke during the hearing, urging the city to slow down, with one encouraging Fort Worth to "give itself the gift of time" to develop more robust regulations, as reported by WFAA and WFAA. Advocacy groups including Tarrant4Change and 817 Gather urged restricting data centers to heavy industrial zones and called for a moratorium on new developments.
Fort Worth currently hosts four data centers totaling 3 million square feet, with five more in progress, according to NBC DFW. Data centers have generated over $83 million in gross property tax revenue for the city in the past five years. An online public survey has received nearly 1,000 responses. The Fort Worth City Council is scheduled to revisit the regulations at an August 4 meeting, with a final vote on all data center proposals slated for August 11.
Zoning commissioners deny data center rules, return ordinance to Fort Worth City Council
Fort Worth Report
After residents concerns the City of Fort Worth is taking action on data centers
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Fort Worth hears public feedback on data center zoning | NBC DFW
NBC DFW
Fort Worth Zoning Commission moves against data center regulations
WFAA
Fort Worth Zoning Commission Rejects Proposed AI Data Center Rules
WFAA
Two Major Data Center Projects Defeated in Prince William County Within One Week
Two of the largest data center proposals in the U.S. were defeated in less than a week in Prince William County, Virginia, according to E&E News by POLITICO. The Prince William County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected the rezoning application for the proposed Dulles South Innovation Center, a 2,000-acre, 43-million-square-foot data center campus that would have been among the largest in the world, as reported by NBC4 Washington and ABC 7 News. The vote denied the rezoning of agricultural land to industrial, a prerequisite for any data center application.
The board's decision followed a five-hour meeting where nearly 100 community members commented. Critics argued the county shoulders the "industrial burden" of such developments without adequate economic benefits, particularly regarding increased demands on the power grid, according to ABC 7 News.
Separately, the Digital Gateway project — a 37-building complex near the Manassas National Battlefield Park that had been approved three years ago — was officially abandoned after its last developer, QTS, withdrew from a lawsuit challenging an appeals court ruling that had voided the original plan, according to The Washington Post. The case had been set for hearing by the state Supreme Court.
Prince William supervisors kill plan for massive 2,000-acre data center | NBC4 Washington
NBC4 Washington
Prince William County Board of Supervisors rejects data center proposal
ABC 7 News - WJLA
Plans for 2,000-acre data center in Northern Virginia REJECTED
ABC 7 News - WJLA
Massive Va. data center project won’t go forward after backer ends legal fight
The Washington Post
Two stunning defeats shake Virginia’s data center capital
E&E News by POLITICO
Loudoun County Approves Two Substations Amid Ongoing Data Center Debate
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved two electrical substations in 8-1 votes following previous delays and public debate, according to LoudounNow.com. The Barrister substation will distribute power to a data center in Sterling that was approved by-right in 2018 and expanded in 2020. The Aspen substation is described as vital for regional grid stability across the Mid-Atlantic.
Supervisors pushed for improved aesthetic designs during the approval process and plan to use findings from a consultant study to develop new regulations for substation design standards, potentially encouraging gas-insulated substations that are smaller and quieter. The board also urged Dominion Energy to improve previously approved substations.
Separately, a Loudoun County resident spoke at a Board of Supervisors meeting characterizing the area as "the data center hell of the world" and arguing that data center facilities prioritize infrastructure over community and small business needs, according to All Virginia News. The speaker called on the board to deny the Aspen substation permit as a signal against unchecked data center growth.
Northern Virginia's Data Center Landscape Faces Growing Community Pushback
Northern Virginia's status as the world's largest data center market is facing increasing pressure from shifting public opinion and regulatory action, according to a report by NOTUS. The region, encompassing Loudoun, Prince William, and Fairfax counties, houses over 300 data centers with hundreds more planned. Virginia passed a new tax on data center energy consumption and legislation restricting air permits for certain data center generators during the most recent legislative session.
Residents in the area are reporting significant quality-of-life impacts. KSL News Utah visited "Data Center Alley" and spoke with residents near a Vantage data center who described persistent noise from natural gas turbines powering the facility until it connects to the electric grid. Separately, Loudoun County's Algonkian District Supervisor Juli Briskman told vadogwood.com that data center land purchases are driving up property values and exacerbating the county's housing affordability crisis. The Virginia State Corporation Commission recently approved Dominion Energy's plan for 185-foot transmission lines through neighborhoods.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-10th Congressional District) hosted a town hall on June 22 where constituents raised concerns about above-ground power lines and infrastructure strain. Data centers contribute over 40% of Loudoun County's property tax revenues, though officials and residents are increasingly questioning whether the economic benefits outweigh community costs.
