Data center moratorium proposals delayed until October
The Memphis City Council has delayed votes on proposed ordinances that would ban new data centers for a year until October 6. City Council member JB Smiley will amend his ordinance to incorporate other council members' suggestions and focus on hyperscale data centers.
The Memphis City Council has postponed definitive action on multiple data center ordinances, including a significant proposal to enact a year-long moratorium on new data centers within the city. The vote, initially scheduled for its third and final reading on September 15, has been pushed back to October 6.
City Council member JB Smiley, who introduced the moratorium ordinance, stated he would use the additional time to incorporate suggestions from other council members. Furthermore, Smiley intends to amend the ordinance to specifically target hyperscale data centers, citing examples like "SpaceXAI’s Colossus I and II." The delay comes as questions about the City Council's authority to implement such a ban have reportedly surfaced.