Quorum Court stands by data center regulations, overrides Hyde veto
The Pulaski County Quorum Court voted 10-4 to override County Judge Barry Hyde’s veto of an ordinance regulating data centers. The rules cover noise, light pollution, energy and water consumption, wastewater, and fire prevention, while AVAIO Digital has threatened to sue over regulations affecting its planned $6 billion project near Wrightsville.
The Pulaski County Quorum Court overrode County Judge Barry Hyde’s veto of a data center regulation ordinance in a 10-4 vote. The measure establishes requirements addressing noise, light pollution, energy and water use, wastewater and fire safety as AVAIO Digital advances a planned $6 billion data center project outside Wrightsville.
Justice of the Peace Douglas House warned that AVAIO could sue the county, citing communications from the company’s lawyers, but other justices supported the override. County officials are also weighing the limits of their authority, while efforts to establish a moratorium on the project have been delayed. AVAIO has continued clearing land and recently purchased an additional 300 acres, and a separate Google data center is planned in the area.