Judge questions Jackson officials about Lake Hico data center discussion
A U.S. District Court judge questioned Jackson officials about a potential data center at Lake Hico, seeking assurances that discussions consider the city's rehabilitating water and sewer systems. This comes as the Jackson City Council recently enacted Mississippi's first data center moratorium, during which new regulations concerning noise, water, and energy use will be developed.
U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate, overseeing the federal Jackson water lawsuit, convened a status conference to address reported discussions regarding a potential hyperscale data center at Lake Hico in Jackson, Mississippi. The judge expressed concerns that any data center development consider its impacts on the city's ongoing water and sewer system rehabilitation.
Emails reported by WLBT, exchanged between Jackson Mayor John Horhn and a local tech nonprofit, outlined potential benefits of a Lake Hico data center, including up to $15 billion in private investment and $20 million annually in city revenue. However, Mayor Horhn stated that discussions are