Petitions filed against Fisk University data center over noise, water, and energy concerns in Nashville
Fisk University's $1 billion master plan includes a new 30-megawatt data center in North Nashville. Community members have launched petitions expressing concerns over potential noise, water usage, and energy consumption. Project representatives assert that local utility bills will not be impacted by the data center's power demands.
Fisk University's recently unveiled $1 billion "Quantum Leap" master plan, set to unfold over the next decade, includes the development of a 30-megawatt data center. This facility, spanning 70,000 square feet, will be housed within the $400 million Innovation Center on a five-acre parcel of the university's North Nashville campus.
However, the project has drawn community opposition, with petitions emerging that highlight concerns about the potential impacts of the data center. Residents specifically cite worries regarding noise levels, air pollution from servers and cooling systems, increased service vehicle traffic, and the facility's extensive water and energy consumption. One petition notably referenced Fisk University's past opposition to the construction of I-40, urging the community to similarly resist this new development.
In response to these concerns, Don Hardin, president of the Don Hardin Group, a firm involved with the project, stated that extensive studies on data center impacts across the country were conducted to ensure proper implementation. He assured that the Nashville Electric Service (NES) had approved power accessibility for the data center and confirmed that no utility costs would transfer to neighboring residents. Fisk University also communicated via social media that the 30-megawatt facility would utilize an existing underground powerline on university-owned property.
The petitions have collectively gathered several thousand signatures, indicating ongoing community engagement and concern over the proposed data center project.