Lawsuits

State Sen. Arthur Orr says Alabama needs data centers but advocates for a measured approach, citing concerns about rising electricity rates and potential conflicts with other economic development projects. Several cities have implemented temporary moratoriums while the debate continues statewide.

Data centers Archives - Yellowhammer News · Morgan Co., AL

Lakeland's City Commission voted 4-3 to impose a one-year moratorium on development of large-scale data centers requiring 50 megawatts or more of power, with supporters citing the need to study impacts and establish safeguards while opponents argued the language was too broad.

Tampa Bay 28 · Polk Co., FL

Metro Council is scheduled for a final vote Tuesday on Mayor Freddie O'Connell's proposal to use eminent domain to acquire a property where DC Blox plans to build a data center adjacent to the Nashville Zoo. The company closed a $23 million purchase of the site and applied for a building permit despite Metro's legislative efforts to stop the project.

Axios · Davidson Co., TN

SpaceX said it will replace portable gas turbines powering its data centers near Memphis, Tennessee, with a natural gas power plant by July 2027, after facing criticism over unpermitted emissions. The company currently operates 69 portable turbines that locals and environmental groups say emit harmful pollutants and have been linked to respiratory problems.

Futurism · Shelby Co., TN

SpaceX has agreed to remove 69 temporary gas turbines at its Southaven, Mississippi power facility supporting the Colossus AI data center complex by July 2027, beginning as early as August as a permanent 1.2-gigawatt natural-gas power plant comes online.

Gizmodo · Shelby Co., TN

SpaceX agreed to remove 69 temporary gas turbines powering an xAI data center in Southaven, Mississippi by July 2027 under an order with state environmental regulators, replacing them with a permanent 1.2 gigawatt power plant authorized under a Clean Air Act permit.

qz.com · DeSoto Co., MS

SpaceXAI announced it will remove 69 temporary turbines powering its $20 billion DeSoto County data center between August and July 2027, following an agreement with Mississippi's environmental agency. The company is installing sound walls and advanced quieting technology while constructing a permanent 1.2 GW power plant.

SuperTalk Mississippi Media · DeSoto Co., MS

SpaceXAI and the State of Mississippi agreed to wind down some of the company's power plant operations in Southaven, the company announced Thursday.

Daily Memphian · DeSoto Co., MS

An Ohio-based industrial contractor's CEO says SpaceXAI owes his company approximately $570 million, representing roughly 40% of a $1.5 billion total contract bill.

Daily Memphian · Shelby Co., TN

Darryl Cuttell, CEO of Darana Hybrid and owner of the International Hot Rod Association, claims SpaceXAI owes his company approximately $570 million for data center construction work in Tennessee and Mississippi. Darana Hybrid filed two mechanics' liens totaling $137 million this week, with Cuttell alleging payments stopped following the xAI and SpaceX merger.

Competition Plus · Tennessee

SpaceXAI says it will remove unpermitted gas turbines powering its data center by July 2027 under an agreed order with Mississippi environmental officials. The NAACP has sued the company, alleging the turbines violate the Clean Air Act by exposing nearby communities to hazardous pollution.

Engadget · Shelby Co., TN

SpaceXAI agreed to gradually remove 69 gas turbines from its data center facilities along the Mississippi-Tennessee border following lawsuits over noise and air pollution. The company plans to complete removal by July 2027 and replace them with a 1.2 GW permanent power plant featuring advanced emission control technologies.

PCMag · Shelby Co., TN

SpaceX said it will remove unpermitted turbines powering xAI data centers near Memphis by July 2027 as it transitions to a permanent 1.2 gigawatt natural gas power plant. The company currently operates 69 gas turbines at the Colossus data centers, which the NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center have sued over.

techcrunch.com · Shelby Co., TN

Headline onlyThe Commercial Appeal

Alabama Power filed a redacted contract for electric service to a data center in Jefferson County, withholding key financial and operational terms needed to evaluate whether existing customers will bear any costs. The filing comes as Alabama prepares to implement new regulations in October requiring data center contracts to demonstrate they cover their own costs and benefit existing ratepayers.

WBRC 6 News · Alabama · also at WSFA

Prichard Mayor Carletta Davis called for a community meeting to discuss the city's police department's future after multiple officers, including the police chief, faced arrests in a corruption investigation. The Mobile County Sheriff's Office has handled non-traffic calls since mid-June.

AL.com · Mobile Co., AL

Prichard city leaders discussed options for addressing a proposed AI data center during a Wednesday community forum, including a temporary moratorium that could expose the city to legal challenges or creating restrictive ordinances governing the project's operation and location relative to residential areas.

mynbc15.com · Mobile Co., AL

East Tennessee cities are implementing restrictions on data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities citing concerns about noise, energy consumption, air pollution, and environmental impact. The efforts follow a lawsuit by crypto company ExoticRidge against Hawkins County's ban, prompting communities including Bristol, Kingsport, Jonesborough, and Washington County to pass moratoriums or strict zoning regulations before facilities arrive.

Tennessee Lookout · Tennessee

The top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee is demanding SpaceX CEO Elon Musk provide a tour of xAI data centers and power plants in Memphis, citing concerns about environmental impacts and community effects from AI infrastructure expansion.

CNBC · Shelby Co., TN

Headline onlyWAFF · also at WSFA

Alabama has more than 40 data centers currently operating in the state, with residents at a Mobile County Commission meeting raising concerns about a planned $6 to $8 billion Beacon Data Centers project in northern Mobile County. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt invited a German World Cup tourist to experience a University of Alabama football game day this fall.

Yellowhammer News · Montgomery Co., AL

District 5 Councilman Roy Smith, II is hosting a public forum Wednesday to provide residents information about a proposed AI data center development from Edged Energy. The property is zoned for industrial use, and the city's attorney stated that a moratorium alone cannot stop the project due to existing zoning regulations.

mynbc15.com · Mobile Co., AL

Several Louisiana state lawmakers are withdrawing from nondisclosure agreements with the state's economic development agency, citing voter pressure and concerns about secret business negotiations. At least four legislators requested the Louisiana Economic Development agency terminate their NDAs after constituents objected to undisclosed data center deals.

NOLA.com · Richland Parish, LA

Headline onlyMLex · Mississippi · also at MLex

Headline onlyThe Commercial Appeal · Shelby Co., TN

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. demanded that Elon Musk provide information about pollution from xAI's data centers in Tennessee and Mississippi, alleging the facilities operate gas turbines without required air permits in violation of the Clean Air Act.

qz.com · Shelby Co., TN

A Pulaski County judge dismissed the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's lawsuit seeking Public Service Commission records on Google and Entergy Arkansas's data center contract, ruling the case belongs before the commission rather than circuit court. The newspaper plans to file a petition to intervene in the case at the Public Service Commission.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Shelby Co., TN

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society sued to stop construction of a $2 billion AI data center near its planned campus, alleging the project rushed through approvals in four months versus the shelter's 18-month review process. The shelter cited concerns about noise disrupting animal operations and welfare facilities.

inkl · Jefferson Co., AL · also at the-independent.com, The Independent

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society sued Birmingham and developers alleging they bypassed zoning rules to fast-track a $2 billion AI data center next to the nonprofit's planned veterinary campus. The humane society claims the data center's proximity and noise could harm its future animal welfare operations.

Business Insider · Jefferson Co., AL · also at aol.com

Headline onlyBloomberg.com · Alabama

Six Republican candidates discussed issues including data centers, veteran care, and agriculture at a Monday forum ahead of Alabama's 2nd Congressional District special primary on Aug. 11. Democratic incumbent Rep. Shomari Figures advances automatically to the general election, where recent polling shows him trailing the Republican frontrunner by one percentage point.

WTVY · Alabama

Meta restructured its $50 billion Louisiana data center project, retaining 20% ownership while Blue Owl Capital took 80%, on the same day state regulators approved the three gas plants powering it. Consumer advocates warn Louisiana ratepayers could face stranded costs from the gas plants if Meta exits after its four-year lease term expires.

Startup Fortune · Richland Parish, LA

An Emporia High School physics teacher was arrested for interference with law enforcement after clapping in support of data center opponents during a city commission meeting where zoning changes were approved. He was released after posting bail and plans to plead not guilty.

WBRC · also at WAFF, WSFA, WTVY

Bessemer officials signed a non-disclosure agreement with Project Marvel developers that restricted public access to site plans, studies, and developer information, according to documents released after environmental groups sued. The hyperscale data center project has drawn resident opposition over concerns about pollution, water strain, and environmental impacts in the majority-Black community.

Word In Black · Jefferson Co., AL

Republican congressional candidate Case Dixon criticized special treatment for AI data centers in Alabama, arguing they should comply with the same permitting and environmental requirements as other industrial projects rather than receiving taxpayer subsidies or exemptions favored by politicians.

Alabama Political Reporter · Alabama

More than 121 employees in Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry's office have signed nondisclosure agreements restricting their speech about work activities, records show. Legal experts warn the NDAs could chill constitutionally protected speech and create a culture of fear, though the governor's office characterizes them as a good governance measure.

WWNO · Orleans Parish, LA · also at Louisiana Illuminator

An NDA between Bessemer and developers of a $14.5 billion data center project required the city to destroy confidential information upon request, conflicting with Alabama law requiring municipalities to preserve government records, according to the Alabama Rivers Alliance.

1819 News · Jefferson Co., AL

State Public Service Commission Chair Eric Skrmetta stated that Meta's planned artificial intelligence data center expansion in Richland Parish would be unlikely to result in rate increases for Entergy Louisiana customers.

hannapub.com · Richland Parish, LA

Nashville's Metro Council unanimously approved new zoning regulations for data centers, including distance requirements from sensitive locations and a temporary permit freeze through December. Whether the rules apply to a proposed DC BLOX facility near the Nashville Zoo remains unclear since permits were already submitted.

News Channel 5 Nashville · Davidson Co., TN

Nashville's Metro Council passed its first data center regulations, which restrict facility locations based on size and energy use, limit noise levels, and constrain on-site fossil fuel generation. The council also implemented a moratorium on new data center permits until December 1 to refine policies and study environmental impacts.

WPLN News · Davidson Co., TN