Metro Council Moves Forward With Crackdown on Data Centers
The Nashville Metro Council has advanced a bill to impose strict regulations on future data centers in Davidson County after a seven-hour public hearing where nearly 180 residents voiced concerns. The proposed regulations include bans on data centers over 500,000 square feet, restrictions on location and noise levels, and requirements for closed-loop water systems. The bill is currently in its second of three readings.
The Nashville Metro Council is moving forward with a bill to implement strict regulations on data centers in Davidson County, Tennessee. The legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Rollin Horton and co-sponsored by 27 colleagues, passed its second of three readings after a seven-hour public hearing where approximately 180 Nashvillians voiced their support for the measures.
The proposed regulations include a ban on data centers larger than 500,000 square feet and restrictions on the location of medium and large facilities (20,000-499,000 square feet), limiting them to industrial zoning districts and prohibiting them from residential and mixed-use areas. Large data centers would also require a special exception from the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals and a public hearing. Additionally, the bill introduces noise limits of 65 decibels during the day and 55 decibels at night, mandates the use of closed-loop water systems to prevent pollution, and establishes setback distances from residential areas, daycare centers, religious institutions, parks, and other facilities.
Community opposition to data centers is significant, with many speakers at the council meeting expressing concerns about proposed facilities near the Nashville Zoo and Fisk University campus. The bill's advancement reflects a broad effort to address the environmental and community impacts of data center development in an area that currently lacks specific regulations for such facilities.