Data Center Moratorium

At a glance

What: BL2026-1448 declares a temporary moratorium on accepting, processing, approving and issuing zoning, building or grading permits for data center developments in Nashville and Davidson County.
Where it stands: Passed third reading as amended on July 21, 2026, 35 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. Council Member Johnston sponsored it.
Context: The Mayor's July 7 message paired the moratorium with the zoning bill (Data Center Zoning Rules): "press pause and put thoughtful rules in place."
Gap: The minutes do not state the length of the moratorium or the text of Johnston's amendment.

Johnston requested the public hearing; citizens were heard in favor and none against is recorded.
Johnston moved passage on second reading and offered a substitute bill, adopted by voice vote.
Benedict called the previous question after discussion (voice vote), and the bill passed second reading as substituted by voice vote.
Mayor O'Connell's message urged passage of the moratorium "as substituted."

The Government Operations and Regulations Committee and the Planning and Zoning Committee approved the bill with an amendment.
Johnston moved third reading and offered Amendment No. 1, adopted by voice vote.
Passed as amended: Yes (35) Suara, Porterfield, Evans-Segall, Allen, Hill, Kimbrough, Toombs, Gamble, Cortese, Parker, Capp, Benedict, Harrell, Eslick, Bradford, Huffman, Welsch, Vo, Cash, Kupin, Horton, Taylor, Druffel, Gadd, Preptit, Johnston, Nash, Benton, Ellis, Sepulveda, Rutherford, Styles, Lee, Ewing and Spain; No (0); Abstain (0).

June 9 (special meeting): BL2026-1448 was a late-filed bill. Johnston moved to suspend the rules to introduce it (no objection) and moved first reading. Porterfield asked for a roll call. It passed first reading 26 yes, 1 no (Porterfield), 0 abstain. Yes: Evans-Segall, Allen, Toombs, Gamble, Cortese, Parker, Benedict, Eslick, Evans, Bradford, Huffman, Gregg, Vo, Cash, Kupin, Horton, Weiner, Druffel, Gadd, Preptit, Johnston, Nash, Benton, Ellis, Ewing and Spain.
June 16: An earlier bill with the same purpose, BL2026-1438, was on first reading but Johnston withdrew it. The minutes do not say why; the late-filed BL2026-1448 had already passed first reading a week before.

A late bill by Johnston (still unnumbered, listed as BL2026-XXX) would have declared a temporary moratorium on accepting, processing, approving and issuing zoning, building or grading permits for data center developments in Nashville and Davidson County.
Johnston was recorded absent that night. Council Member Huffman moved to suspend the Rules of Procedure to introduce the late bill, but the motion met the requisite objection and failed, so the bill was not introduced. The bill came back as a late-filed bill at the June 9 special meeting.