Aldermen delay vote on data center zoning bill, just days before scheduled recess

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen's Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee postponed a vote on a comprehensive bill designed to establish zoning regulations for data centers within the city. The decision to table the legislation occurred Wednesday, just days before the board's scheduled summer recess on July 10, creating a tight timeline for its potential passage. The bill is slated to reappear on the committee's agenda next Tuesday.

Sponsored by 1st Ward Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, the legislation seeks to govern where data centers can be built, regulate their energy consumption, and manage noise emissions. Alderwoman Schweitzer emphasized the public's demand for these regulations, citing a recent approval for a Midtown data center at the former Famous-Barr warehouse as a catalyst for urgent action.

However, some committee members, including 3rd Ward Alderman Shane Cohn and 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, expressed reservations about the hurried pace of the bill's review. While generally supportive of data center regulation, they argued that more time was needed to address complex details and amendments, which included 11 proposed changes, three introduced at Wednesday's meeting. The city's Planning Commission had previously recommended the bill but would need to re-vote due to the substantial amendments.

The proposed regulations include stringent requirements for "standard" and "major" data centers, mandating environmental impact reports on air and water quality, heat, and stormwater. Notably, major data centers would be required to source 95% of their annual electricity from renewable sources within 10 years of operation, a provision that Henry Eubank, director of public policy at Greater St. Louis Inc., equated to a de facto ban due to perceived infeasibility. Despite these concerns, Board of Aldermen President Megan Green is prepared to call a special meeting during the recess if the bill remains unpassed.