Creating good public policy is complicated and sometimes messy and there is no better example of that than yesterday’s vote in Birmingham on a data center ordinance.
There are many positive aspects to the ordinance that was passed yesterday, including the requirement for hyperscale data centers to
submit water conservation plans, and a requirement for all data centers to use closed loop cooling systems, which decrease water use.
Unfortunately removing a formal process for public participation in future data center development leaves a very important part of good public policy on the table. We are grateful that the city council has taken these steps to regulate data center development, but we remain committed to continuing to hold data centers and elected officials accountable for protecting our communities and our environment from the harmful impacts of data centers.
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