Advocates make final push ahead of Tuesday vote on Pulaski County data center ordinance
Advocates in Pulaski County made a final push for an emergency ordinance ahead of a Tuesday vote. The proposed regulations would establish a conditional use permit process for hyperscale data centers in unincorporated areas, requiring review of power, water, noise, and traffic impacts. Supporters argue these safeguards are crucial to regulate large data center developments and would affect projects already underway, like AVAIO Digital's.
Supporters of new regulations for hyperscale data centers in Pulaski County, Arkansas, gathered on Monday for a final appeal before the Quorum Court's Tuesday vote on an emergency ordinance. The proposed measure aims to establish a conditional use permit process for data centers in unincorporated county areas, mandating reviews on factors such as power and water consumption, noise levels, and traffic impact. Residents and some local officials expressed concerns that previous public input opportunities were insufficient.
Justice of the Peace Julie Blackwood, along with colleagues Rebekah Davis, Donna Massey, and Natalie Capps, sponsored the ordinance, which was drafted with assistance from Pulaski County Judge Democratic nominee Wendell Griffen. They emphasize the necessity of these safeguards to prevent the county from being "completely vulnerable" to data center impacts. The ordinance also includes provisions to apply these new requirements to projects already in development, a point of contention in past debates, specifically mentioning AVAIO Digital's proposed project near Wrightsville. Griffen noted that data center projects have impacts beyond individual parcels, contrasting this regulatory approach with prior, unsuccessful attempts to implement a temporary moratorium on development. The Quorum Court is scheduled to consider the ordinance at 6 p.m. at the Pulaski County Courthouse.