Nashville halts data center development for now
The Nashville Metropolitan Council enacted a moratorium on data center development until December 10 and approved new regulations restricting data center proximity to sensitive sites. These actions follow significant opposition to a proposed DC BLOX data center near the Nashville Zoo. Additionally, legislation for eminent domain is advancing for the property.
The Nashville Metropolitan Council has approved a moratorium on data center development until December 10, alongside implementing new regulations restricting where data centers can be built. These regulations prohibit data center construction within 100 feet of churches, daycares, schools, or zoos, with large data centers facing a 2,640-foot buffer. These measures respond to strong community and political opposition to a proposed 70,000-square-foot DC BLOX data center located near the Nashville Zoo. Mayor Freddie O'Connell has also advanced legislation to acquire the property near the zoo through eminent domain, citing concerns about the proposed use and the need for metro expansion space.
The proposed DC BLOX project faced bipartisan opposition, with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) and State Rep. Justin Jones (D) publicly criticizing the site choice. Jones highlighted the data center's proximity to Fisk University, a historically Black university. The Data Center Coalition warned that such moratoriums could deter investment, while a Think Tennessee report emphasized the state's "critical decision point" regarding data centers and their impact on electricity consumption and costs. Governor Bill Lee recently signed House Bill 1847, requiring data centers using over 50 megawatts to cover their own electricity costs.