Knoxville City Council enacts one-year data center moratorium
The City of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed a one-year emergency ordinance to halt data center development. This decision follows a similar moratorium by the Knox County Commission and aims to allow leaders time to research the environmental and community impacts of large data centers.
The City of Knoxville, Tennessee, enacted a one-year emergency ordinance on Tuesday evening, implementing a moratorium on data center construction. This action comes weeks after the Knox County Commission also approved a similar one-year pause.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon has been a proponent of the moratorium since early June, citing concerns about the potential impacts of large data centers on immediate neighbors and the broader community, particularly regarding "clean air" and "clean water."
City leaders stated that the halt, effective until July 7, 2027, or until new data center regulations are established, will provide city and county officials with crucial time to research the industry's effects and develop appropriate safeguards.