Nashville Mayor Signals Support for Temporary Data Center Moratorium, Hedges on Zoning Policy
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has signed an executive order signaling support for a temporary moratorium on large data centers within Nashville and Davidson County. This comes as the city council considers multiple pieces of legislation, including a proposed moratorium and a permanent zoning policy for data centers. Activists are actively opposing proposed developments and have submitted a large petition.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell issued an executive order on Monday, expressing his support for a temporary moratorium on large-scale data center development in Nashville and Davidson County. The Mayor's action follows weeks of contention surrounding data center expansion in the city, particularly regarding proposed projects near Fisk University and the Nashville Zoo. The order advocates for expedited consideration of legislation to establish a temporary halt while a comprehensive regulatory and permitting framework is developed.
Mayor O'Connell stated his commitment to preventing data centers that could harm neighborhoods, the environment, or residents, emphasizing the Metro government's full support for a temporary moratorium and long-term policy research. Concurrently, Metro Councilmembers Courtney Johnston and Rollin Horton have introduced legislation: Johnston's proposes a moratorium, and Horton's aims to create a permanent zoning policy for data centers, both having passed initial council votes but awaiting review by the Metro Planning Commission and final council approval.
O'Connell's stance aligns with Councilmember Johnston's moratorium proposal, though he has indicated support for some zoning changes without committing to the current version of Horton's bill, which will undergo alterations before its June 25 Planning Commission hearing. Opponents of Horton's bill suggest it needs further study to prevent state preemption, while critics of a moratorium fear it could be easily overturned in court. Activist groups, including No New Data Centers Nashville, have voiced dissatisfaction with the Mayor's order, arguing it lacks sufficient impact despite over 425,000 petition signatures against the developments. The Mayor's executive order defines 'large' data centers as those over 20,000 square feet or requiring more than 5 megawatts of electrical demand, a more restrictive definition than the current zoning bill proposal.