‘This is very real redlining’: outrage in Little Rock as two datacenters loom
Summary
Two large datacenter projects are planned near Little Rock, Arkansas, sparking concern among residents and local officials about water use, electricity costs, and fair tax contributions. Arkansas state law prevents local governments from banning datacenters but allows regulation, creating tensions about how these projects should move forward.Key Facts
- Google plans a $1 billion datacenter covering 1.43 million square feet on 384 acres at the Port of Little Rock.
- Avaio proposes a $6 billion datacenter 10 miles south in a rural, marshy area of Pulaski County.
- Arkansas law, passed by a Republican-controlled legislature, stops local bans on datacenters but allows regulation.
- The law originally targeted cryptocurrency mining but was expanded to include datacenters somewhat unintentionally.
- Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. is concerned about datacenters using too much water and raising electricity rates.
- Arkansas offers cheap land and lower electricity costs (5-7 cents per kWh) compared to the national average (8.71 cents).
- The southern and midwestern US are attracting most planned datacenter projects in the country.
- Little Rock is growing economically and attracting new residents due to lower living costs and job growth.
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