Little Rock moratorium try on data centers fails

The Little Rock City Board of Directors narrowly rejected an 18-month moratorium on data center development, with the vote failing 4-4 after falling two votes short of the required majority. Despite over two hours of public testimony overwhelmingly in favor of the pause, city directors Kathy Webb, Virgil Miller Jr., Andrea Lewis, and B.J. Wyrick were the only ones to vote 'yes'. Directors Capi Peck, Lance Hines, Dean Kumpuris, and Joan Adcock voted against the moratorium.

Public speakers expressed concerns about the environmental impact, high demands for water and electricity, and a perceived lack of transparency regarding a proposed 100-megawatt, $1 billion Google data center planned for 380 acres in the Port of Little Rock area. Legal scholar John DiPippa argued that a moratorium was a sound tool and that lawsuits were likely regardless of the board's decision, countering City Attorney Tom Carpenter's warning that a moratorium would trigger legal action from Google.

Jay Chesshir, head of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, was the sole speaker against the moratorium, citing economic benefits from a Google data center in Pryor, Oklahoma. However, citizens quickly countered these claims with reports of issues in Pryor. The article also mentions a parallel debate in Pulaski County regarding a proposed AVAIO Digital data center near Wrightsville, highlighting ongoing local battles over data center development. In June, the board unanimously passed an ordinance regulating water, noise, and air pollution for data centers.