Louisville Planning Commission recommends stricter data center regulations
The Louisville Planning Commission has recommended stricter zoning regulations for new data center construction, which will now proceed to the Metro Council for further debate and a final vote. The proposed rules include requiring rezoning for nearly all new data centers, a ban on facilities larger than 500,000 square feet, and mandatory closed-loop cooling systems. Public opposition group No Data Center 502, while acknowledging some updates, states the recommendations do not go far enough.
The Louisville Planning Commission has voted to recommend a stricter set of zoning regulations for new data center construction, which will now move to the Louisville Metro Council for final approval. The commission, comprised of local realtors and business leaders, voted 5-3 to send the proposed rules to the council after considering extensive public feedback expressing concerns about data centers.
The recommended regulations include a ban on new data centers exceeding 500,000 square feet, defining hyperscale facilities. Additionally, the commission calls for nearly all new data centers to undergo a rezoning process, which would allow for public comment and require final approval from the Metro Council. They also propose making closed-loop cooling systems mandatory for data center developers, rather than merely encouraged, to reduce water consumption, and suggest banning data centers from being built within a quarter-mile of each other or other hazardous properties.
Advocacy group No Data Center 502, which has actively protested against Mayor Craig Greenberg’s administration on this issue, attended the meeting. Lead organizer Dani Ray expressed disappointment, stating that while there were some updates, the recommendations still contained "holes" and did not fully reflect public sentiment, which she believes would make data centers "all but impossible to build." The group plans to continue its advocacy efforts with the Metro Council.
The Planning Commission’s recommendations will first be reviewed by the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee, chaired by District 9 Democrat Andrew Owen, with a meeting scheduled for September 15. Owen anticipates a "robust discussion" and indicated that the process might extend beyond a single committee meeting given the significance of the issue.