The mayor of St. Louis, Mo., has signed an executive order to develop a framework for developing artificial intelligence data centers after previously considering a temporary ban on the development of those centers.
After city officials considered a moratorium on data center proposals in August, following concerns about having limited information on how to create comprehensive regulations for data center development, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the city will work to consider how to integrate data centers into its zoning and water codes.
“We believe this meets the community interest in better understanding this developing industry’s role in our community by detailing a holistic set of information that we will be requiring and collecting from potential data centers as a part of the existing permitting process while the framework is being developed and finalized,” said Mayor Spencer while speaking at a press conference on Sept. 18.
Specifically, the executive order signed by Mayor Spencer on Sept. 19 stated that the city seeks “to create a more permanent framework for [data centers] in its outdated zoning code,” by collecting information to “provide the most holistic picture possible of the benefits, potential community impact, and other considerations attendant with proposed facilities.”
Local officials said the zoning requirements being considered will include buffers from homes and schools; building scale, noise, and equipment screening; energy and water use disclosures; renewable energy commitments; job impacts; and mandatory community engagement before and after construction.
The order also outlined a plan for determining how the city’s water code may impact the development of data centers, pointing to aging infrastructure and no information on how a growth in data centers may impact water usage.
“The key is that this is a start to a very lengthy and open engagement process to make sure that residents voices are heard throughout it, so that we get to a place where we can thoughtfully regulate a new and emerging industry in our community,” St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green said while speaking at a press conference.
The executive order follows an order from officials in St. Charles, Mo., who placed a yearlong ban on data center development after receiving public pushback.
According to a memo from the St. Louis Planning and Urban Design agency earlier this month, there are currently 12 data centers located within the city’s downtown area, with one current proposal.