Nashville Metro Council passes first data center rules

Nashville’s Metro Council approved the city’s first rules for data centers, adopting two zoning bills and a temporary moratorium on new construction in Davidson County.

The votes came after weeks of public pressure tied to opposition to DC Blox’s proposed data center next to the Nashville Zoo.

One of the measures, BL2026-1391, sets broad zoning restrictions on where data centers can be built and how they can operate in Davidson County. Under the bill, data centers larger than 500,000 square feet are banned in the county. Proposals below that size would still face a stricter review process.

Those new proposals would need a special exemption from the Board of Zoning Appeals and would have to go through a public hearing before they could be approved.

The legislation also confines large data centers to areas already zoned for heavy industrial use. It bars them from being built within half a mile of schools, homes, parks, and other designated areas.

Council’s action also addresses operational concerns. The bill prohibits on-site power generators such as gas turbines, which the article said are the source of many concerns about air pollution and noise. Facilities would still be allowed to use renewable energy sources like solar power on-site. The measure also requires a closed-loop water cooling system to limit water pollution.

Alongside the zoning changes, Metro Council approved a temporary moratorium on data center construction through December. According to the article, the pause is intended to give Metro Council more time to consider additional regulation.

The moratorium does not affect data centers already in operation. It temporarily pauses construction but does not permanently ban data centers.

The article noted that several other municipalities across Tennessee and the country have adopted moratoriums, though many legal experts say they could face court challenges.

In a separate but related move, Metro Council advanced legislation filed by Mayor Freddie O’Connell involving the land next to the Nashville Zoo where DC Blox plans to build a data center. The proposal would allow Metro Council to use eminent domain to seize the property.

Council approved that legislation on second reading, but sent it back to the Budget and Finance Committee for further discussion.

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