By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher
LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — It’s been a bit of a political hot potato.
In January, the Metro Planning Commission sent a recommendation to place a five-year moratorium on AI data centers in Metro Moore County to the Metro Council. Members debated whether regulations should apply narrowly to AI data centers or be expanded to address any industrial development that could significantly affect farmland, water systems, or residential areas, and sent it back to Metro Planning.
In February, Metro Planning added more detail and then sent it back to the Metro Council for further action. On Monday, Metro Attorney Bill Rieder stated that his office would craft an AI Moratorium ordinance to be voted on by both bodies in March.
No project has approached Moore County
The moratorium is not an outright ban. Instead, it would temporarily pause permitting for large, stand-alone AI or data processing facilities while the county evaluates potential impacts and determines whether additional zoning or infrastructure requirements are needed.
Under Tennessee law, local governments may enact temporary moratoriums on specific types of development if the pause is justified, limited in scope and nondiscriminatory. The purpose is typically to give planners time to study an issue and update regulations before large-scale projects move forward.
If the Metro Council chooses to act, the next step would likely include: a formal ordinance outlining the length and scope of the moratorium, public notices published locally, as well as a first and second approval of the moratorium at the Metro Council.
During that time, Planning and Zoning could evaluate issues such as power demand, water consumption, infrastructure capacity, noise levels, tax impact and land-use compatibility.
When first introduced, committee members emphasized that the proposal targets large facilities where the primary use of a parcel would be AI or data processing — not routine IT rooms inside existing businesses.
If the council declines to adopt a moratorium, development applications would proceed under current zoning and permitting standards. While no such project has been proposed locally, several members said recent conversations at the state and national level prompted them to question whether Moore County is prepared for that type of infrastructure.
The issue remains under review but we expect an ordinance draft at the next Metro Planning meeting. •
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