Data center debate expands as county weighs moratorium; town hall scheduled tonight
Shelby County officials are considering a temporary moratorium on new data centers in unincorporated areas while regulations for land use, environmental protection, infrastructure and public input are developed. A community town hall in Memphis will address concerns about water resources, energy demand, farmland, jobs and the economic effects of delaying development.
Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks is supporting a proposed temporary moratorium on new data centers in the county's unincorporated areas. He said the pause would give officials time to develop zoning codes and safeguards addressing the Memphis aquifer, farmland, green space, infrastructure, environmental impacts and community participation. Activist Keshaun Pearson also urged county leaders to act before additional projects are proposed, questioning whether promised economic and employment benefits would reach local residents.
The proposed pause is opposed by those who warn that data center projects and related investment could move to neighboring Arkansas, Mississippi or Georgia. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, speaking in Senatobia during an event highlighting ABB's expansion, cited data center demand as a source of growth for manufacturers and jobs. Shelby County residents are scheduled to discuss the competing concerns at a town hall at First Baptist Broad in Memphis, while the Shelby County Commission continues considering a moratorium and broader regulations.