Coffee County approves one-year moratorium on data centers after residents raise water and infrastructure concerns

The Coffee County Commission voted unanimously to place a one-year moratorium on data centers in the county, approving Resolution 20 26-12 by a 13-0 vote. The measure came with a unanimous positive recommendation from the Coffee County Regional Planning Commission and was moved by Commissioner Watkins and seconded by Commissioner Stubblefield.

Several residents urged the commission to pause development to study water, infrastructure and environmental impacts before permitting data centers. Maureen Burke, a Tullahoma resident, told commissioners, “I urge all our commissioners to vote for the moratorium.” Steven Arnold, a rural resident, warned that some firms build small facilities and later expand, calling attention to water use and pollutant-concentration concerns: “AI firms are still building water guzzling AI systems,” he said.

Marnie Sherrill noted recent requests from Duck River to cut water use this year and said bringing a data center could raise electricity and water infrastructure costs for residents. She said she was “concerned that bringing a center like that into the area would cause additional costs to residents.” Dina Nicoletti emphasized local farming and wildlife vulnerabilities, saying the county’s rural character and recurring flooding on the Duck River merited careful study.

The commission’s action was procedural: the moratorium directs the county to pause approvals for a year while staff and the Planning Commission assess zoning, infrastructure capacity and environmental impacts. The resolution text and implementation steps were not read into the record in detail at the meeting and no specific reporting timetable was announced. The Regional Planning Commission’s recommendation and the 13-0 vote were recorded in the commission’s minutes.