Little Rock Imposes Strict Datacenter Limits on $7 Billion Projects as Water and Power Fears Grow
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 7
Little Rock Imposes Strict Datacenter Limits on $7 Billion Projects as Water and Power Fears Grow
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 7
Summary
June rules in Little Rock cap hyperscale datacenter noise, heat and water use, impose penalties for violations, and effectively confine such projects to the Port Authority district rather than residential areas.
The ordinance responds to two proposed projects—a $1 billion, 1.43 million-square-foot Google site and Avaio’s $6 billion development—as residents warn they could strain water supplies, raise electricity costs and deliver few local jobs.
Avaio’s plan has drawn the sharpest backlash in nearby Wrightsville, where its first phase would use 150MW of power and a later phase could require 1GW and 4 million gallons of water a day.
Arkansas law passed in 2023 blocks local governments from banning datacenters outright, so Little Rock and Pulaski County are trying to regulate them instead; the county last month rejected a proposed one-year moratorium.
The fight reflects a broader Southern and Midwestern datacenter boom driven by cheap land and power—Arkansas industrial rates run 5 to 7 cents per kWh versus a U.S. average of 8.71 cents.