Amid plans for new ‘high-density’ AI data center campus in a Middle Tennessee city, locals push for moratorium on such facilities

McMinnville, Tennessee, is facing local opposition to a proposed 25-megawatt AI data center campus, the "Hixson Data Center," prompting the City of McMinnville to call a special meeting to consider a moratorium on new data center developments. Mayor Chastain requested the meeting, scheduled for June 3, to address applications, approvals, permitting, construction, and expansion of high-impact facilities like data centers, bitcoin mining, and microchip manufacturing.

The Hixson Data Center, designed for AI workloads and supporting Nvidia's GB200 NVL72 platform, is being developed by an unnamed private entity and aims for completion by Q1 2028. It reportedly has an agreement with Bloom Energy for 30 Megawatts of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell power, ensuring on-site prime power without reliance on the electric grid. Developers cited Tennessee's pro-business environment, lower costs, and tax rates as reasons for the location choice.

However, residents have launched a significant petition, garnering over 2,600 signatures, to push for a temporary 12-month moratorium. Petitioners argue this pause would allow officials, utility providers, and experts to evaluate environmental impacts, infrastructure capacity, emergency response, and review zoning regulations before making long-term decisions. They emphasize that their aim is responsible growth, not anti-technology sentiment, and express concerns about the impact on the agricultural community and natural resources of Warren County. The proposed data center's 25-megawatt operation could also circumvent a recently signed state bill by Governor Bill Lee, which requires data centers with peak demands of 50 megawatts or more to pay the full cost of infrastructure.