Data center could be coming to Moss Bluff
Azimuth Renewables is considering building a data center on 1,100 acres near Moss Bluff, Louisiana, which would require an industrial zoning variance. This news is fueling local opposition, as residents and elected officials are already fighting a proposed solar farm in the same area, fearing the solar farm's approval could set a precedent for industrial development like the data center.
Azimuth Renewables, a Missouri-based company, has confirmed it is exploring the possibility of constructing a data center on a 1,100-acre site near Coffey Road in Moss Bluff, Louisiana. Company representatives stated that plans are in the very early stages and no firm decisions have been made regarding the development.
The potential data center project comes amid significant local opposition to a separate, proposed 4,700-acre solar farm by California-based Orion Renewable Energy Group in the same vicinity. Both projects would require a variance from the Calcasieu Parish Planning and Zoning Board, as the proposed sites are currently zoned for agricultural use and would need to be approved for industrial development.
Louisiana State Rep. Brett Geymann (R-Lake Charles) noted that the news of the considered data center has intensified the fight against the solar farm, believing its approval could open a "gateway" for other industrial developments. State Representatives Dewith Carrier (R-Oakdale) and Chuck Owen (R-Rosepine), along with Senator Jeremy Stine (R-Lake Charles), have also signed a letter urging the planning and zoning board to deny the rezoning variance request, citing concerns about setting a precedent for future industrial applications. Orion's variance request is anticipated to go before the board as early as November.