‘Pump the brakes’: Another Alabama city approves temporary ban for data centers

Another central Alabama community is hitting the pause button on the rapid rise of data center infrastructure. The Leeds City Council, representing the suburb east of Birmingham, unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on all permits and property development linked to data center campuses and similar high-impact projects.

A Measured Approach

The move follows growing scrutiny regarding the impact of these facilities. During Monday night's council meeting, Councilmember Cary Kennedy addressed the local surge in interest: “I think we’re all aware that data centers are trying to build everywhere. This would put a moratorium on any future data centers for at least a year so we can get more information on this.”

This decision aligns Leeds with other Alabama municipalities reconsidering their growth strategies. Most notably, Birmingham is currently enforcing its own six-month pause on new data center development.

Community Concerns and Corporate Clarification

The local push to halt development was championed by long-time resident Christy Johnson. She raised alarms regarding marketed sites for potential data centers, though Alabama Power has since clarified its position. According to company spokesperson Anthony Cook, the utility is not actively recruiting data center projects to the area.

“The link referenced by the resident is an old piece of marketing material that listed a potential site that was called Grand River,” Cook noted. “That site, however, hasn’t been active for years and is not located in Leeds. The post about it has been taken down, again, because it is not an active site.”

What's Next for Leeds?

The council meeting drew roughly 50 attendees to an historic downtown venue, reflecting the local interest in the topic. While some residents advocated for a permanent ban due to environmental concerns—specifically regarding the Cahaba River—the city is currently focusing on a one-year window to refine its zoning policies.

“If we could have said forever, we probably would have said forever, but we can’t say forever,” Councilmember Sabrina Rose remarked. Councilmember Eric Turner added that the city aims to address the issue permanently through future adjustments to municipal zoning regulations.