Memphis City Council Vote

Memphis City Council narrowly failed to pass an 18-month data center moratorium but approved a 135-day development pause.

“We demand representation that chooses us, the people, over the profits of a billionaire’s experiment.”

Elon Musk’s xAI in Memphis

Elon Musk’s xAI has claimed Memphis as its 'home,' building three hyperscale AI data centers in the metro area.

Residents Push for Moratorium

Residents have spent the past year suing xAI, organizing communities, and pushing for a moratorium due to environmental racism.

Justin Pearson’s Advocacy

Justin Pearson, a Memphis congressional candidate thrown out of City Council, spoke at the meeting demanding a data center moratorium.

“If you have never rushed your family to a Walgreens to get an inhaler to save their lives, you don’t know what it’s like for people to struggle to breathe.”

Health Impacts in Boxtown

Boxtown, a majority-Black neighborhood, faces cancer risks from air pollution four times the national average and leads the state in asthma emergency visits.

135-Day Moratorium Passes

The council passed a 135-day data center development pause but failed to pass an 18-month moratorium on a 6-6 tie.

Next Steps for Residents

Residents plan to push for a federal moratorium in Congress after the city council’s vote on data center expansion.