Date: September 14, 2022 at 5:15:37 PM EDT
Subject: Data Center Cons
The Franklin County Commission denied rezoning for (1) commercial solar farms and (2) data centers within the last year. Our County Commissioners LISTENED to the community. Neighbors not wanting to hear “buzzing” sounds, more like a jet sitting next to you ready for take-off, 24/7/365 from a data center. They didn’t want their farmlands destroyed by chemicals seeping into the ground from commercial solar farms and data centers. The chemicals released through solar farms and data centers are harmful to the environment. Once these chemicals are absorbed into the ground, the rain spreads them to neighboring parcels of land or even into local water structures, rather it be a pond, lake, river or a utility district infrastructure. A few solar panels will not release much chemicals, but when you add thousands, tens of thousands of panels, the chemicals add up very quickly.
Data Centers are large users of batteries that contain heavy metals, such as lead. How will these batteries be disposed? Recycled? There are not many places capable of disposing batteries of this size appropriately. Will a company dig a large hole and cover the batteries, like they do for windmill blades? How is burying products like this good for our environment? It isn’t! It damages the farmland crops, our beautiful nature, poisons our waters that feeds to many thousands of customers.
Is a community looking for additional revenue? A data center nor a solar farm is the direction they need to facilitate. Both are low employment rates and will not generate much more additional property taxes. Wouldn’t they rather an industry who will actually consider the environment more beneficial? Many industries who use chemicals in their process, recycle their water/wastewater before any is released back into the utilities infrastructure. An industry, or even a department store, would bring more taxes (sales and property) and employment to an area than a data center or a solar farm. A typical solar farm/data center only supplies an additional, maybe, 5 jobs – once construction is complete and operations begin.
ELECTRICITY – POWER USAGE!!!! Do communities realize the amount of power a data center uses???? WOWZERS! What is going to happen if a fire starts in the data center? Imagine a solar farm catching fire? Both will end the power demand to the existing customers. I’d rather risk lightning hitting a transformer and losing power for a few hours versus days.
Look into Oak Ridge Tennessee’s Data Center! A lawsuit has been filed. A lot of misinformation was presented when they addressed “landing” in Oak Ridge.
I highly suggest, any and all communities, step back, take a deep breath and begin your research, deep research before making hasty decisions on rezoning. There are too many disadvantages on certain rezoning requests. Take the time to sit down and create strict rezoning ordinances – have specific rezoning districts.
Zoning Board Members, along with City Council Members and County Commissioners/Mayors/Executives, need to LISTEN to their communities. Most were elected into office for a reason – to LISTEN AND SUPPORT their constituents!
I wish you and your community the best of luck. I know the challenges you face. Thankfully, I have County Commissioners that listened to their constituents, rather they were young or old, rich or poor, they listened!
Respectfully,
Kelli Riley
855 Dinah Shore Boulevard, Suite 3
Winchester, TN 37398
M: 931.636.0098