Shelby County Commission Data Center Ordinance Passes First Reading
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted 5-4 to advance a proposed moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas to a second reading. Supporters cited potential health, air, water and natural-resource impacts, while opponents questioned the need for a moratorium and its possible effect on economic growth.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners advanced a proposed data center moratorium covering unincorporated areas outside Memphis city limits. The 5-4 vote, with four abstentions, followed testimony from residents and advocates who raised concerns about air pollution, asthma, water and natural-resource depletion, and the effects of data centers on neighborhoods including Whitehaven and Boxtown.
Commissioners were divided over whether a moratorium was justified because no current data center projects are planned in the affected areas. Commissioner Amber Huett-Garcia proposed developing regulations instead, while Commissioner Henri E. Brooks called for strict, uniform rules, zoning controls, community input and independent expert advice. Commissioner Mark Billingsley warned that a moratorium could prematurely limit an emerging industry and its potential economic benefits.