Pulaski County Quorum Court postpones data center moratorium vote
The Pulaski County Quorum Court postponed a vote on a proposed 12-month data center moratorium until July 14, following a tense meeting. This delay is to allow justices to hear from an independent expert on the ordinance's details, particularly concerns that energy and water consumption thresholds could deter other businesses. The moratorium aims to pause data center development in unincorporated Pulaski County to establish a regulatory framework.
The Pulaski County Quorum Court voted to postpone a decision on a proposed data center moratorium until July 14. The move followed a nearly two-hour meeting characterized by audible audience groans and passionate debate, with the court seeking input from an "independent subject matter expert" on the ordinance's details.
Justice of the Peace Wendell Griffen drafted the 12-month moratorium ordinance, which aims to halt data center development in unincorporated Pulaski County. The goal is to provide the county time to understand potential impacts and develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for such facilities. The meeting began chaotically when justices claimed they received an amendment to the ordinance minutes before the session, leading to initial confusion about its placement on the agenda.
During discussions, Jack Thomas of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce voiced concerns that the proposed ordinance's electricity (5 megawatts or greater) and water (100,000 gallons per day or greater) consumption thresholds could inadvertently exclude other industrial businesses, citing examples like Elopak and Amazon's LIT3 fulfillment center. Some JPs, including Dianne Curry and Staci Medlock, shared these worries, while Justice Patricia Young-Baker clarified that the ordinance had been amended to exempt existing businesses, hospitals, schools, and public infrastructure.
Justice of the Peace Tina Ward, representing the Wrightsville area where AVAIO Digital plans a data center, strongly opposed the postponement, emphasizing the direct impact on her constituents. Despite her emotional plea, the motion to postpone passed 8-to-5, with a special meeting now scheduled to hear from an expert before the Quorum Court reconsiders the moratorium ordinance on July 14.