Vote postponed on county’s data center ordinances, study committee proposed
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners postponed first readings on a proposed data center ordinance and a 12-month moratorium covering unincorporated areas. The proposals would impose renewable-energy and water-cooling requirements and create a study committee, while officials consider the effects of facilities such as SpaceXAI’s Colossus I on utility costs and the Memphis Sand Aquifer.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners deferred first readings of proposed data center regulations and a 12-month moratorium on new construction in unincorporated areas until Nov. 18. Commissioner Karen Streeter said the delay would allow time for a community meeting and expert input. Commissioner Amber Huett-Garcia’s proposal has several cosponsors, while Commissioner Henri Brooks is seeking amendments that would pause expansions of existing facilities and establish a study committee involving residents and health officials.
The proposed rules would encourage renewable energy, phase out carbon-based electricity, and require closed-loop or nonevaporative cooling systems to limit impacts on utility infrastructure and the Memphis Sand Aquifer. The measures are being developed alongside Memphis City Council regulations, including the city’s recently approved 135-day moratorium. Millington separately enacted a six-month pause on data center development, while the county considers a longer moratorium that would remain in effect until permanent standards are adopted.