● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 negative
Little Rock residents and officials express outrage over two proposed datacenter projects
Key points
- Google plans a $1bn datacenter at Port of Little Rock.
- Avaio proposes a $6bn datacenter in Pulaski County.
- Arkansas law prevents local bans on datacenters.
- Concerns focus on water and electricity rates.
Datacenter Proposals in Little Rock
Two large-scale datacenter projects have been proposed in the Little Rock, Arkansas area. Google intends to develop a 1.43 million sq ft, $1 billion datacenter at the Port of Little Rock on a 384-acre site. Separately, Avaio plans a $6 billion project located 10 miles south in Pulaski County.
Local Opposition and Concerns
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and residents have expressed opposition to the projects, citing concerns about water and electricity consumption. Residents fear that datacenters will deplete water resources and increase electricity rates, impacting their personal finances. Mayor Scott noted that while state law prohibits outright bans, local governments retain broad authority to regulate datacenters.
State Legislation Limits Local Control
Arkansas state legislation passed three years ago prevents local ordinances from banning datacenters. State Representative David Whitaker, a Democrat, stated that the inclusion of "datacenters" in the law's definitions was almost accidental, originally intended to address crypto mining operations. However, Mayor Scott suggested the inclusion now appears intentional to those involved.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
Two hyperscale datacenter projects, one by Google and another by Avaio, are facing local opposition in Little Rock, Arkansas, due to concerns over water and electricity usage. State legislation passed three years ago prevents local ordinances from banning datacenters, limiting the community's ability to block the developments.