Pulaski County enacts 12-month moratorium on new data centers during regulatory concerns
Pulaski County Quorum Court has enacted a 12-month moratorium on new data centers to allow time for the development of comprehensive regulations. Existing data center projects are grandfathered in, which has raised concerns among some officials regarding environmental impacts and the transparency of current developments. The planning board is tasked with creating necessary regulations during this pause.
The Pulaski County Quorum Court in Little Rock, Arkansas, has passed a 12-month moratorium on new data center developments within the county. The decision, made last night, aims to provide the planning board with time to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for data center projects. However, a last-minute amendment to the ordinance grandfathers in two existing data center projects, which has sparked concern among some officials and candidates.
Pulaski County Justice of the Peace Rebekah Davis expressed her hopes that the moratorium would allow the planning board to create safe and balanced regulations, while also voicing frustration over the lack of prior knowledge regarding the existing projects. Officials from AVAIO, Entergy Arkansas, and Central Arkansas Water gave presentations to the quorum court, but Davis noted that many questions regarding environmental and contractual details remained unanswered or were met with evasive responses.
Pleas for more conversational growth and consideration for land use for larger projects. Wendell Griffen, a candidate for Pulaski County Judge, held a press conference highlighting ongoing environmental concerns, specifically pointing to issues like increased runoff, erosion, and potential flash flooding due to extensive impervious surfaces created by hyperscale campuses. Griffen also raised legal concerns, stating that legislation favoring specific projects over others could violate the Arkansas Constitution. Fellow candidate Michael Rushin also commented on the need for effective strategies to deal with data center issues.