Irondale’s Data Center Rules: Power, Water, and Noise #shorts
Irondale officials have chosen to regulate data center development rather than impose a moratorium. The city’s ordinance requires developers to pay for power infrastructure upgrades, use closed-loop water systems, and meet strict daytime and nighttime noise limits.
Irondale Mayor discussed the city’s decision to establish data center regulations instead of pausing development through a moratorium. Officials said they spent roughly six or seven months developing rules intended to address residents’ concerns about infrastructure, water consumption and noise.
Under the ordinance, data centers would be responsible for needed power-system upgrades and would pay Alabama Power directly for that infrastructure. The rules also require closed-loop water systems and set noise limits of 50 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night, which the mayor compared to the volume of a normal conversation.