Alabama Data Centers Target Unzoned Rural Towns
Residents in Gallion and other rural Alabama communities are opposing proposed hyperscale data centers, but counties have limited authority to regulate or stop projects because of the state’s lack of county home-rule zoning power. The article highlights Cloverleaf Infrastructure’s proposed Project Red Clay in Lowndes County, along with electricity, water, tax, and historic-preservation concerns surrounding Alabama’s data center boom.
Residents in Gallion have organized meetings, Facebook groups and a petition against a hyperscale data center being considered near infrastructure that includes an Alabama Power gas plant, transmission lines and the Black Warrior River. Rural counties such as Marengo, Hale and Lowndes have limited ability to establish zoning controls or halt projects, while small municipalities can temporarily pause development under state law.
The article also focuses on Cloverleaf Infrastructure’s Project Red Clay in Lowndes County, a proposed 800-acre, $1.5 billion development near the historic Robert Gardner Farm. The project has requested up to 1,500 megawatts of electricity and 100,000 gallons of water per day, prompting opposition over its proximity to homes, tax incentives, infrastructure demands and historic significance. Alabama cities have used temporary bans, and the Morgan County Commission enacted a one-year data center ban, while gubernatorial candidates have proposed broader changes, including a statewide moratorium and ending tax breaks.