Residents fight to keep AI data center campus away from Nashville Zoo
Some Tennessee residents are speaking out against a proposed building project for an AI data center campus that would border the Nashville Zoo, which is home to more than 3,000 animals.
The public gathered at the Metro Planning Commission chambers on Thursday to voice concerns about the development proposal from the Atlanta-based digital infrastructure company DC BLOX and called for legislation that could create rules for such facilities in Nashville.
"We, the people, are here to stand up for the animals who can't," one speaker said during the meeting. "We do not want data centers in our city."
The public hearing came on the heels of new renderings from DC BLOX that show plans for two data center buildings, along with a substation and security building on property, adjacent to the zoo -- an estimated combined 50-megawatt campus, which would use enough electricity to power approximately 30,000 to 50,000 homes and would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Nearly 400,000 people have signed an online petition so far to try to block the proposed center from being built, citing concerns about noise, water and power.
"We have these rare animals. We have life support systems. You know, we lose power, it's a big deal for us," Rick Schwartz, CEO of the Nashville Zoo, told ABC News, speaking to the impact of the proposed data center and potential strain on the community's power grid.
He added that he is concerned the data center might also affect the zoo's breeding facilities for endangered species.
In a statement, DC BLOX said it will work "to minimize local impacts and assure that there will be no health risks to residents or animals," adding, "The proposed data center will not be an AI factory."
Nashville Zoo got a supportive boost over the weekend from country star Brad Paisley, a staunch advocate of the zoo's conservation work. Paisley, who lives in the Nashville area, took to Instagram on Saturday, posting a video in which he described the proposed data center as "a monstrosity" and an "absolute eyesore."
"It's not too late to stop it," he added, urging others in the caption to sign the petition.
Speaking to ABC News, Paisley called the zoo a "world class" facility, adding, "I can't think of a worse place, honestly, that you could stick something like a data center in our town."
The Nashville Metropolitan Council recently advanced a moratorium for the data center permits, ABC News Nashville affiliate WKRN reported Tuesday, which would temporarily halt the development for 90 days.
