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Last Update: 10/27/2026 at 5:34 AM EST
Nashville Data Center Rules
Coverage from Nashville Banner, WSMV 4, and others
Nashville and Davidson County have considered data-center-specific zoning and permitting measures through the Metro Planning Commission and Metro Council.
Proposals address facility size and location, buffers near sensitive sites and transit corridors, noise, water and energy use, reporting, and emergency planning, alongside a temporary permit moratorium. Public debate has been shaped in part by proposed facilities near the Nashville Zoo and at Fisk University, with residents and officials weighing local impacts against development plans.
Looking Back
56 Day Timeline
May 28
Jun 7
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Jul 21
All Articles31 articles
Important
Nashville Metro Council approved data center zoning bills and a permit moratorium through Dec. 1 while advancing eminent domain for property next to the Nashville Zoo tied to DC Blox.
7/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council approved BL2026-1391 and a construction moratorium through December, restricting data-center siting, generator use, and closed-loop water cooling in Davidson County.
7/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Metro Council in Nashville, Davidson County, advanced data center zoning bills after a packed public hearing, while eminent domain plans for a proposed DC BLOX site near the Nashville Zoo drove opposition.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council advanced data center zoning rules and a temporary permit moratorium after public hearings drew more than 100 residents opposing new facilities near sensitive sites.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council advanced data center zoning buffers and a temporary permit moratorium after public hearings, with final votes set for July 21.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council advanced a data-center rule amendment and temporary moratorium on July 2026 after public comments and objections tied to proposed zoo and Fisk University sites.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council holds public hearings and scheduled votes on data center zoning rules and a temporary permit moratorium on Tuesday, with Mayor Freddie O'Connell backing the package.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council will use a ticketed public hearing July 7 for BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1448, setting zoning restrictions and a temporary data center construction moratorium in Davidson County.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Metro Nashville Planning Commission voted June 25 to recommend a temporary moratorium and zoning ordinance limiting large data center campuses in Davidson County.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Metro Planning Commission advanced two data center bills in Nashville, including zoning rules and a permit moratorium, before a July 7 Metro Council hearing.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Freddie O'Connell ordered Metro Nashville departments to assess grid capacity, water use, and environmental impacts and develop future regulations for large-scale data centers.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville officials tabled a data center zoning amendment after public comment and scheduled a June 25 meeting to consider a moratorium.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Courtney Johnston and Nashville Metro Council introduced a temporary data-center permit moratorium after protests tied to a Grassmere Park project near the Nashville Zoo.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Council member Rollin Horton proposes a June 2 first-reading bill restricting hyperscale data center size and expanding hearings and environmental review.
6/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council member Rollin Horton filed a bill on data center zoning on Tuesday, scheduled for June 2 discussion.
5/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
Nashville Metro Council advanced three bills in late 2026 to restrict or pause new data centers after more than 200 residents spoke, amid DC BLOX and Mayor Freddie O'Connell disputes over a Zoo-area proposal.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council plans a ticketed public hearing on data center zoning and moratorium measures after mayoral eminent domain filing and widespread community opposition near the Nashville Zoo.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville and Davidson County residents will attend a July 7 Metro Council public hearing on proposed bills to impose a data center moratorium and ban very large projects.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Metro Council will hold July 7 public hearings on two data center bills in Tennessee after adopting a ticketed speaker queue system.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Planning Commission recommended data center zoning rules and a temporary development moratorium, advancing the proposal toward a July Metro Council hearing.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville, Tennessee considers Bill No. 2026-1391 and Executive Order 59 to shape permitting for AI data center proposals after community opposition.
6/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Planning Department staff recommended revisions to two data center restriction bills for Thursday hearings and a July 7 Metro Council public hearing.
6/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell signed Executive Order 59 in 2026 to support a temporary moratorium and new permitting framework for large-scale data centers.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell signed an executive order supporting a temporary large data center moratorium in Nashville and Davidson County as bills advance toward a June 25 planning commission vote.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell signed Executive Order 59 and Metro Council approved a 90-day data center permit moratorium in Davidson County after public opposition to proposed sites.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville's Metropolitan Planning Commission heard marathon public comment on June 25 deferral of proposed data center zoning restrictions after more than 150 residents opposed DC Blox and Fisk University proposals.
6/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville residents and officials held a Metro Planning Commission hearing on June timelines for new Davidson County data-center regulations tied to DC Blox plans near the Nashville Zoo.
6/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nashville Metro Council voted 26-1 in early steps toward a 90-day moratorium on new data center permits as opposition grows around a proposed zoo-adjacent site.
6/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Metro Nashville proposed first zoning restrictions for data centers to regulate siting, hyperscale size limits, and community approvals as AI-driven expansion continues.
6/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Over 150 residents opposed two Nashville data center zoning proposals at a Metropolitan Planning Commission meeting, deferring action to June 25.
6/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Nashville Metro Planning Commission held a crowded meeting in Davidson County in which a zoning bill proposed data center size limits and added permit requirements.
6/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General