Pulaski County Quorum Court members advance one of two proposed data center moratoriums

Pulaski County's Agenda Committee, after a contentious Tuesday night meeting, voted to send one of two proposed data center moratorium ordinances to the full Quorum Court. The advanced ordinance, proposed by District 7 Justice of the Peace Dianne Curry and developed in consultation with Entergy officials, is specifically crafted to allow the controversial AVAIO data center project in Wrightsville to continue its development and to prevent the county from facing potential lawsuits related to 'vetting rights' under state law.

A separate, more comprehensive ordinance put forth by Wendell Griffen and sponsored by Justice of the Peace Julie Blackwood, which aimed to establish broader regulations before approving new projects, failed to pass the committee with a 5-5 vote. The committee's decision not to allow public comments before the votes sparked anger from the audience and accusations of First Amendment violations. An anti-data center activist was asked to remove a 'liar' sign from the chamber, highlighting the intense public opposition.

County attorney Dominique Lane advised the Quorum Court on the legal risks, explaining that halting projects with existing utility contracts could be deemed a 'taking' and expose the county to litigation. The discussion also touched upon the complexity of applying regulations to phases of the AVAIO project, which initially planned for nine buildings, revised to six, and is currently preparing to build three. Justice of the Peace Donna Massey expressed frustration over having 'a moratorium to defeat another moratorium' and the potential environmental and financial implications for constituents.