Manatee quorum failure delays AI data center moratorium, Jason Bearden’s Charlie Bishop showdown

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• Oct 6
  ZONING·Alabama

  Easy targets: Why data center companies are swooping in on rural Alabama

  A hyperscale data center company is scouting rural Gallion, Alabama, drawing resident opposition due to the state's lack of local zoning authority. Rural Alabama communities lack zoning laws to regulate data center development, prompting some residents to push for state constitutional changes that would allow local control.

  AL.com · Alabama · also at GulfLive.com, lehighvalleylive, MassLive.com
• Oct 6
  MORATORIUM·Florida

  What to know about data centers in Florida: Power, water, local control and the new law

  A Florida law effective July 1, 2026, requires large data centers to pay their full utility costs, preserves local zoning authority and establishes water-permitting requirements. The law defines large-scale data centers as single sites with anticipated monthly peak electric loads of at least 50 megawatts.

  News4JAX · Florida
• Oct 6
  PERMIT·Georgia

  How Local Debates Over Data Centers Leak into Water Scarcity Concerns

  Water depletion in Georgia accelerates during warmer months due to increased energy consumption, and data centers compete with local communities for finite water resources despite some using closed-loop cooling systems. Georgia Power's 2025 plan estimates 8,500 megawatts of electrical load growth, prompting concerns about environmental impact and transparency in utility contracts.

  Grady Newsource · Georgia
• Oct 6
  UTILITIES·Mississippi

  As Colom tries to capitalize on anti-data center sentiment, Entergy Mississippi says customers are benefitting from data centers, not subsidizing them

  Democrat Scott Colom claims Entergy Mississippi customers pay an extra $10.60 monthly due to data center costs, but Entergy disputes this, stating customers benefit from data center revenues that helped prevent a rate increase this summer and are projected to keep rates lower through 2030.

  Magnolia Tribune · Mississippi
• Oct 6
  UTILITIES·Mississippi

  A $300,000 deposit is coming back as PowerCompute plans a Mississippi site buildout

  PowerCompute increased contracted power at its Columbus, Mississippi site to 11 megawatts under a new agreement with Columbus Light and Water effective October 1, 2026. The utility returned a $300,000 deposit to the company without assessing capacity commitment charges on the expansion.

  stocktitan.net · Mississippi
• Oct 6
  NEWS·Tennessee

  Morristown to consider data center regulations

  Headline onlyWJHL · Tennessee
• Oct 6
  NEWS·Davidson Co., TN

  Martin Renkis named CEO of data center infrastructure company

  Martin Renkis, a veteran local entrepreneur based in Nashville, has been appointed CEO of Corenix, a subsidiary of Barcelona-based AI infrastructure company Submer Group, which operates its North American headquarters in Houston.

  Nashville Post · Davidson Co., TN
• Oct 6
  VOTE·Shelby Co., TN

  Memphis City Council to vote on data center project pause

  Headline onlyWREG.com · Shelby Co., TN
• Oct 6
  NEWS

  Data centers made this county rich. Then came the backlash

  Dothan Eagle
• Oct 6
  NEWS

  Data center construction in Marengo and Hale Counties

  AL.com
• Oct 6
  NEWS

  Play this data center simulator to step into the role of decision-maker

  Headline onlyAL.com
• Oct 6
  LAWSUIT

  N.J.’s impossible AI data center choice: Refuse and get sued, or give in and face fury

  New Jersey municipalities face a dilemma as over 100 towns adopted data center bans or moratoriums following a large AI facility's rapid approval in Vineland, prompting developers to file lawsuits challenging the restrictions. Towns must decide whether to approve data centers and face resident backlash or implement bans and risk expensive litigation that could force approval anyway.

  AL.com