Memphis City Council devolves into chaos after data center moratorium vote postponed

A Memphis City Council meeting descended into chaos Tuesday night after lawmakers postponed a vote on a proposed yearlong moratorium on new data centers, as protesters chanted inside City Hall, police cleared the chamber and a fight broke out in the lobby.

The proposal comes as Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI operates its massive Colossus supercomputer facilities in the Memphis area, where some residents have raised concerns about data centers' use of power and water, along with their effects on air quality, noise and nearby neighborhoods.