Birmingham City Council Delays Vote Until June on Data Center Regulations
The Birmingham Times Rules for future data center development in Birmingham are still being worked out, as city council members delayed a vote on updates to the city’s zoning ordinance. After hearing from nearly two dozen concerned citizens during a public hearing on Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted unanimously to postpone a decision on […]
Black News 
The Birmingham Times
Rules for future data center development in Birmingham are still being worked out, as city council members delayed a vote on updates to the city’s zoning ordinance.
After hearing from nearly two dozen concerned citizens during a public hearing on Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted unanimously to postpone a decision on new data center regulations. The proposed guidelines were presented by zoning and planning staff during the meeting. The delay will give officials more time to revise the draft regulations and to consider stakeholder comments. Because state law requires 30 days of public notice, the council will move its vote to the first week of June.
During the public hearing, some residents and environmental advocates said they were encouraged by what has been proposed, but members of the business community warned against adopting restrictions that could make it harder for Birmingham to attract future development.
Currently, data center developers can’t apply for permits within the city due to a six-month moratorium enacted by the council on March 3.
The draft regulations define and outline restrictions for four types of data centers: accessory, medium, hyperscale, and micro. The categories are determined mostly by size and electrical use, and each one has its own set of conditions.
Conditions for Hyperscale Data Centers
The draft of proposed regulations includes 19 conditions for hyperscale data centers. A hyperscale data center is defined as “a large data processing facility designed to support high volume computing, storage, and networking capacity” and “occupies more than 200,000 square feet of gross floor area, and/or has an aggregate electrical demand exceeding 30 megawatts.”
In Birmingham and beyond, hyperscale data centers have drawn the most attention because of potential environmental impacts, including water and energy use, noise pollution, and more. A hyperscale data center requires extensive cooling systems, electrical substations, backup power generation and related infrastructure.
The proposed requirements for hyperscale data centers include the following conditions:
- at least 500-foot separation from residential areas
- a minimum property size of five acres
- a ban on illicit discharge into the municipal stormwater system
- required noise studies before and after construction
- no on-site power generation, except by solar power (Backup generators can be used within limits during power outages, emergencies, or when required for testing and maintenance.)
- mandatory closed-loop cooling systems (which recirculate water and minimize the use of potable water for cooling purposes)
- compliance with specific lighting requirements
Several people who spoke during Tuesday’s meeting, along with Councilor Brian Gunn, called for greater distance between data centers and nearby neighborhoods, possibly increasing the 500-foot setback requirement to at least 1000 feet. Others also urged city officials to revise definitions and strengthen regulations for medium data centers.
The proposed guidelines will not apply to developments with completed permits, including the Nebius project at the former Regions Lakeshore Operations Center site on Lakeshore and the expansion of DC BLOX’s existing facility.
