Memphis, Tenn. — Shelby County commissioners narrowly advanced a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas Monday, clearing a first reading even as some members questioned whether a pause is needed when no projects are lined up outside city limits.
The measure passed 5-4, with four commissioners abstaining. It still needs another vote and a third reading before a final decision. The pause would cover non-incorporated parts of Shelby County only; suburban cities would have to pass their own rules.
Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, who represents District 12 and introduced the ordinance with Commissioner Henri E. Brooks, said the goal is to write regulations before a data center developer proposes a project. She argued that waiting until after a project arrives leaves the county without a clean way to apply new rules.
Commissioner Amber Huett-Garcia, who represents District 13, raised questions about the county’s legal authority and the wording of the draft. She is pushing an alternative that focuses on regulatory guardrails rather than a temporary ban, and she noted that unincorporated Shelby County does not have independent power and water systems of its own.
Brooks first brought a companion idea during Oct. 6 committee meetings, tying county action to a 12-month moratorium already under debate at Memphis City Council. At that earlier session, commissioners split over whether a pause would buy time to write rules or scare off investment, and there are currently no data centers operating in unincorporated Shelby County.
The proposal now moves to a second reading. Coordination between the county and the City of Memphis remains part of the debate as both governments weigh how hard to hit the brakes on new data center permits in the Memphis metro.
