Little Rock mayor pitches data center regulations

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has announced plans to implement citywide regulations on data centers, a move that comes as Google, operating through its subsidiary Willowbend Capital, advances its hyperscale data center project near the Port of Little Rock. The City of Little Rock's board previously approved the annexation and rezoning of 800 acres for Google's facility, which now seeks a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to impact wetlands.

Meanwhile, the Pulaski County Quorum Court is grappling with its own data center policies. Justices Rebekah Davis and Tina Ward have filed a late ordinance proposing a one-year moratorium on data center construction in unincorporated areas of Pulaski County. This follows an earlier attempt to pass land-use regulations, which was temporarily shelved for further review by the planning department. The proposed county moratorium could affect projects like AVAIO Digital's upcoming data center near Wrightsville, which is close to securing county approval. Legal opinions differ on whether new regulations would apply to projects already in development but not yet under construction.