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Pulaski County Data Center Backlash
Coverage from Washington Post, KATV, and others
Articles
31
Active Days
53
The Topic
Pulaski County, Arkansas, is debating two large planned data centers: a roughly $1 billion Google facility near the Port of Little Rock and a larger AVAIO Digital project near Wrightsville. Residents and some local officials are seeking stronger rules or a moratorium, citing limited public input, high projected electricity and water demand, environmental risks, noise, and possible effects on utility rates. Project supporters and utilities say the developments will create jobs and tax revenue while operators will cover dedicated infrastructure costs and the water system can absorb the demand, leaving key questions focused on transparency, enforceable protections, and final project requirements.
First Article: 05/10/26
Latest Article: 07/01/26
Summary
- Google is planning a roughly $1 billion data center near the Port of Little Rock, while AVAIO Digital is planning a roughly $6 billion facility near Wrightsville.
- The projects are expected to require more than 100 megawatts for Google and about 150 megawatts for AVAIO, with additional demand for cooling and related systems.
- Central Arkansas Water says each facility could use up to 4 million gallons per day without reducing residential reliability or requiring customer rate increases; critics dispute whether the long-term impacts are fully understood.
- Residents and local officials object to limited public disclosure, including invite-only meetings and broad nondisclosure agreements used during economic-development negotiations.
- Pulaski County residents are pressing for a moratorium or stronger local rules, while Arkansas law limits local governments’ ability to ban data centers.
- Supporters emphasize investment, jobs, tax revenue, and commitments to cover dedicated utility infrastructure costs.
- Little Rock adopted modest data center regulations, but opponents continue to seek stronger safeguards and more public participation.
History
The story is now framed more explicitly around Pulaski County's push for a moratorium or stronger local controls, alongside new legal uncertainty over how much authority local governments actually have. The public-disclosure dispute also became more central, while the utility-cost debate was sharpened by more specific statements about water and power impacts.
The story has sharpened from a general local zoning and moratorium fight into a more concrete dispute over two named hyperscale projects, their scale, and the transparency of the approval process. The new version adds stronger claims about utility impacts, public skepticism of closed-door planning, and the fact that Little Rock has already adopted some regulations while county action remains under consideration.
Featured
05-26-2026
In Pulaski County, Arkansas, residents and local officials pushed for moratoriums and regulation of planned Google and AVAIO Digital data centers amid concerns about water and utility impacts.
05-12-2026
Little Rock Regional Chamber officials and utilities held a press conference to address community concerns about Google and AVAIO data center power, water, noise, and air impacts in Arkansas.
06-11-2026
Springdale residents questioned the Springdale Dynamo Data Center plan after Springdale Borough issued a December 2025 conditional use permit, citing grid, water, and noise impacts.
Timeline: 53 Days
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Additional Articles
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Pulaski County residents in Arkansas criticize hyperscale data center recruitment near Wrightsville and east Little Rock over limited public input and concerns about water, flooding, and power demand.
Little Rock proposed data center permit regulations on May 19, applying to future city-permitted projects near the Port while imposing water and noise limits.
Little Rock Board of Directors considers a data center ordinance Tuesday as Capi Peck and Kathy Webb push for a temporary construction moratorium.
Little Rock, Arkansas approved new data center regulations in 2026, applying hyperscale zoning, setback, noise, and cooling water rules for a proposed Google port facility.
Little Rock board members plan a July 7 vote on a Jan. 1, 2027 moratorium for new hyperscale data center zoning applications, excluding a Google Port project.
Little Rock City Board approved an ordinance on Tuesday regulating large-scale data centers near the Port of Little Rock, including noise, landscaping, utility, and cooling water restrictions.
Fayetteville City Council adopted an emergency ordinance on June 16, 2026 limiting data centers to conditional land use with water, electricity, and siting requirements.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. proposed tiered data center regulations, with votes scheduled for June 2, covering zoning setbacks, water restrictions, and noise controls.
Little Rock's Sustainability Commission pressed for stronger data center regulation before a board vote, citing power and water impacts for Google's Port of Little Rock campus.
Little Rock submitted proposed data center regulations tied to permit applications, defining hyperscale requirements for cooling and noise ahead of a June 2 board vote.
Google plans a $1.5 billion data center expansion in Jackson County, Alabama in 2026 to 2027, backed by TVA power agreements and amid TVA rate change considerations.
Google will invest in a West Memphis, Arkansas data center campus, partnering with Entergy Arkansas on power while the state processes other large buildouts and permitting filings.
Google plans a West Memphis, Arkansas data center campus while Entergy Arkansas supports power and Arkansas tax-break rules broaden eligibility for fiber-connected data center sites.
Google and other planned data center projects in Arkansas receive PILOT property tax abatements and local utility fee changes approved by Little Rock officials.
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Residents and officials debated Google’s planned East Little Rock data center in Little Rock, Arkansas, focusing on wastewater capacity, local ban limits under Act 851, and community transparency.
Pulaski County, Arkansas residents hold a June 6 public forum before a Quorum Court vote on a proposed data center moratorium targeting Google and AVAIO Digital AI projects.
In Pulaski County, Arkansas, Lauren Brown of Google faced questions about missing siting, power, and water plans for the proposed Port of Little Rock data center and related approvals.
Springdale residents opposing Allegheny DC Property’s proposed data center at the former Cheswick Generating Station plan to use Allegheny County permit reviews and hearings after December borough approval.
Pulaski County, Arkansas, held a meeting in which supporters and opponents of Google and AVAIO Digital data centers disputed water use and public review before sending regulations to planning.
Broken Arrow City Council will vote on a six-month moratorium starting June 15, 2026 to delay data center applications while zoning and community impact studies are completed.
Broken Arrow City Council considers a June 15, 2026 six-month moratorium on data center proposals after an expired land purchase letter of intent.
Little Rock Sustainability Commission urged a pause and stronger standards as the Board votes on data center rules covering noise, water, wastewater, and setbacks.
Fayetteville City Council approved emergency data center ordinance amendments on Tuesday, using conditional-use permits and added water, cooling, and buffer requirements.
Springdale Borough will hold a June 10 open house for a proposed hyperscale data center after December conditional-use approval.
Fayetteville, Arkansas City Council considers Tuesday votes on amendments making data centers conditional uses with cooling, heat, energy, and water documentation requirements.
Little Rock Port Authority discusses a proposed Google data center on a Port site in Arkansas, including Fair Share Plus utility terms and wetlands mitigation plans.
July 6, 1959 context: Little Rock Port Authority argues a Google data center proposal can expand jobs, property tax revenue, and wetlands mitigation in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Arkansas Connected Communities Association formed in early June to coordinate data center and AI infrastructure policy as Rep. Aaron Pilkington highlights land use and electricity demand concerns in Arkansas.