Image Credit: GallatinTN.gov
Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –
Data centers continue to face growing public pushback amongst many residents as Tennessee municipalities are weighing regulations or temporary moratoriums, with Gallatin becoming the latest city to consider a halt on new construction while it further studies the impacts of these facilities.
On Tuesday night, Gallatin City Council Member Pascal Jouvence introduced a proposal for a two-year moratorium on data center construction in the city that would temporarily stop the acceptance, review, approval, permitting, and development of new facilities as the city studies potential impacts.
The resolution says the pause would allow the city to review impacts to electrical infrastructure, water and wastewater systems, transportation, emergency services, noise, environmental concerns, and current zoning regulations.
“We keep trying to push on data centers, but we don’t really have any idea of the impact,” Jouvence said at the council’s work session.
But some residents have been able to offer their insights about potential impacts, relaying their experiences living near the massive 900-acre Meta data center campus already in the city, one of the largest in the state.
Several said that they didn’t fully comprehend what the development would be until after construction was already underway.
“I didn’t know much about it at all when it first came in,” Glenn Haller. “I didn’t know anything about data centers or what was going on,” said one resident. “It’s not been a real issue as far as the noise where I live, but of course it’s not in my backyard.”
Others in the area who live closer to the center said they’ve encountered several negative effects, especially from the noise while the campus was under construction and the subsequent water runoff that now floods their property.
One couple told a local news outlet that they have been trying to sell their property to downsize in retirement but have had multiple interested buyers pull out of the sale because of the data center nearby. They said they’ve tried working with the city to find solutions but have not been successful.
While several council members expressed overall support for a moratorium on Tuesday, the body ultimately decided after discussion to defer a vote on the resolution to allow the city attorney and other department heads to further review the legislation and ensure it is properly written.
The Wilson County Commission also considered a six-month data center moratorium after it passed at a meeting of the county’s Planning and Zoning Committee on Monday, but the draft ordinance failed to receive a second after leaders opted to study the issue further before officially adopting legislation.
Some commissioners raised concerns about whether the county has the infrastructure or other resources needed to support large-scale facilities, with one saying, “I don’t think we have the electricity. I don’t think we have the water capacity. We already have wastewater issues.”
And several other cities and counties are working through their own regulations, including the city of Cedar Hill which recently passed a two-year moratorium on all construction of any data centers and cryptocurrency mines within city limits, while McMinnville approved a similar 18-month moratorium.
Additionally, the Mayor of Knoxville is gearing up to present her own proposal as the Metro Nashville government also considers their own legislation on the heels of massive protest over a proposed center next to the Nashville Zoo and another on the Fisk University campus.
Many of these regulations or moratoriums which pass may have to stand up to legal challenges, which is why several of the municipalities have opted for temporary halts as they assess their options for potential outright bans in the future.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
