Memphis leaders consider putting pause on new data centers
Memphis City Council is slated to discuss a proposed temporary moratorium on new data center developments in the city. This comes as SpaceXAI plans to add a third facility in Memphis, drawing concerns from environmental and neighborhood advocates over energy and water usage, pollution, and noise. State Rep. Justin J. Pearson supports the proposed moratorium, urging the City Council to pass the ordinance.
The Memphis City Council is set to consider a temporary moratorium on new data center developments, including a halt on the acceptance, processing, approval, and issuance of related permits. This measure is sponsored by council members Yolanda Cooper-Sutton, JB Smiley Jr., and Jana Swearengen-Washington, and will be discussed in an upcoming committee meeting.
The proposed moratorium follows an announcement from Elon Musk about a new data center development by SpaceXAI at the Colossus 2 supercomputer site in Memphis' Whitehaven neighborhood. This would be SpaceXAI’s third facility in the city and fourth in the immediate area, intended to power artificial intelligence large language models.
These facilities have generated significant local and national opposition due to concerns over their extensive energy and water usage, as well as associated pollution and noise impacts on nearby communities. State Representative Justin J. Pearson, a vocal opponent of data center proliferation, has publicly supported the proposed moratorium, calling it “welcome news and an important step in the right direction” and urging the City Council to pass the ordinance to prevent further abuses.