Nashville Halts Data Center Development For Now
The Nashville Metropolitan Council has approved a moratorium on data center development until December 1st, alongside new regulations restricting data center proximity to sensitive locations like the Nashville Zoo and schools. This action comes amidst significant opposition to a proposed DC BLOX data center near the zoo and a push for eminent domain legislation by Mayor Freddie O'Connell.
The Nashville Metropolitan Council has enacted a moratorium on new data center development until December 1st and approved new regulations in response to significant public and political opposition to a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo. The newly adopted ordinances prohibit small data centers within 100 feet of churches, daycares, schools, or zoos, and large data centers within 2,640 feet of such facilities.
Atlanta-based DC BLOX had proposed a 70,000-square-foot data center that spurred the controversy. In addition to the moratorium and regulations, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has advanced legislation to acquire the property near the Nashville Zoo through eminent domain, citing the city's need for expansion space across various departments.
The DC BLOX project garnered bipartisan opposition, with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) calling for reconsideration of the site, and State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) opposing it due to its proximity to Fisk University, a historically Black university. Discussions around data center development are ongoing statewide, with the Data Center Coalition warning against moratoriums, while organizations like Think Tennessee highlight concerns about electricity consumption and potential cost shifts to households. Gov. Bill Lee recently signed House Bill 1847, requiring data centers using over 50 megawatts to cover their electricity costs.