Fayetteville and Fort Smith leaders discuss data center regulations
Fayetteville and Fort Smith leaders are actively discussing and proposing new regulations for data centers. Fayetteville is considering additions like penalties for violations and annual reports, while Fort Smith is discussing rules on water use, noise, and future project approvals. Both cities currently have no data center projects in progress.
Several data center discussions are underway in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley on Tuesday, August 11th. In Fayetteville, city council members are addressing data center regulations in their agenda session, looking to add to rules passed in June. Potential additions include penalties for violations and annual reports to the city. Fayetteville already has rules concerning water and power use, with a council vote on these new changes possibly occurring next Tuesday.
Concurrently, Fort Smith city directors are also discussing potential regulations, focusing on water use, noise, and approval processes for future data center projects. Despite these ongoing discussions about regulatory frameworks, both cities have stated that there are currently no data center projects in development.