Crossville City Council advances 24-month data center moratorium

The Crossville City Council has advanced a 24-month moratorium on new data center developments, approving the second reading of a relevant ordinance. This move follows significant public opposition concerning noise pollution, water consumption, and broader environmental impacts associated with data centers.

The proposed moratorium, codified as Title 14, Chapter 12, is intended to create a temporary pause in new data center construction. During this period, the city and Cumberland County plan to collaborate on developing comprehensive regulations that address noise standards, water conservation, and the strain on electrical infrastructure. Officials indicated that this measured approach is designed to prevent potential costly lawsuits that could arise from an immediate, outright ban, while also facilitating joint planning between municipal and county commissions. A third and final reading of the ordinance is anticipated in August.

During public comments, resident John Murray cited issues in other states, including a drug-resistant bacterium linked to data center wastewater in Cheyenne, Wyoming, noise complaints near an Elon Musk-backed facility in Mississippi, and water rights disputes in California. He also highlighted existing noise problems from Bitcoin mining operations in Crossville. IT professional Jacob McGonagall questioned the necessity of hyperscale data centers, suggesting they primarily serve massive data collection rather than essential community needs, and warned that large projects, such as xAI’s 1,500-megawatt facility in Memphis, could overwhelm local resources.

Council members, including Mayor R.J. Crawford, acknowledged resident concerns, noting that the current lack of comprehensive zoning presents challenges for regulation. They expressed their commitment to protecting community interests and do not support massive hyperscale data centers. The city also plans to engage state leaders to develop a long-term data center policy. The moratorium specifically targets future large-scale tech infrastructure projects and will not affect already-approved operations.