Data Centers in Hamilton County TN
5 pledges made
Success! Primary ask: Hamilton County Commissioners vote YES on the one-year data center moratorium on July 15, 2026. *(The Commission Voted yes on 7/15/26)
Secondary ask: Commissioners amend the resolution so the Jailhouse Studios exemption cannot be used as a template for future "small footprint" carve-outs — e.g. a hard, audited square-footage/power cap with public reporting, not a self-certified limit and cap it hard enough that it can't be used as a precedent for the next "small" exemption.
Standing ask (post-vote): during the pause, the Planning Department's TVA/EPB/water-provider consultations should be public record, not a closed-door study.
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp proposed a one-year moratorium on new AI data centers in unincorporated Hamilton County, and the Commission voted July 15, 2026 for the one year moratorium.
The stated reason is sound: nobody yet knows what these facilities do to the power grid, water supply, and farmland, so the county wants a year to study it before approving more. But the moratorium already exempts one project — Jailhouse Studios, the conversion of the old downtown county jail into a data/production complex. And that exemption isn't neutral. Run by Urban Story Ventures, the Jailhouse Studios' infrastructure partner is The STEM Practice, an Oracle partner whose CEO, Bernie Alen, is a former executive director at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. STEM Practice's own public goal is 1,000 "sovereign AI" sites nationally, financed by Oracle carrying the capital cost of hardware in exchange for long-term recurring compute revenue.
In other words: the one project the county has already blessed is a foothold for the exact same industry the moratorium is supposed to pause — installed by a company literally run by a former Oracle executive, financed on a model built for decades-long lock-in. We need to know more.
Objectives
Moratorium on Data Centers in Hamilton County
Target
Hamilton County Commission
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp proposed a one-year moratorium on new AI data centers in unincorporated Hamilton County, and the Commission votes July 15, 2026. The stated reason is sound: nobody yet knows what these facilities do to the power grid, water supply, and farmland, so the county wants a year to study it before approving more. But the moratorium already exempts one project — Jailhouse Studios, the conversion of the old downtown county jail into a data/production complex. And that exemption isn't neutral. Run by Urban Story Ventures, the Jailhouse Studios' infrastructure partner is The STEM Practice, an Oracle partner whose CEO, Bernie Alen, is a former executive director at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. STEM Practice's own public goal is 1,000 "sovereign AI" sites nationally, financed by Oracle carrying the capital cost of hardware in exchange for long-term recurring compute revenue. In other words: the one project the county has already blessed is a foothold for the exact same industry the moratorium is supposed to pause — installed by a company literally run by a former Oracle executive, financed on a model built for decades-long lock-in. "Pause means pause" should mean pause, not "pause for everyone except the one deal we already signed."
Ways to take a stand
easy
1 pledged
I pledge to share the info with to 3 people
I'm sharing this campaign so my neighbors understand why this vote matters beyond one old jail.
easy
1 pledged
I pledge to contact my commissioner to ask for community input listening sessions to inform future data center regulations during the moratorium
I pledge to contact my commissioner to ask for community input listening sessions to inform future data center regulations. Here is a link to the letter to send to the commissioners
medium
1 pledged
I pledge to attend the sierra club data center information session - sept 28th
Event Information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1589513429428932/
"Data centers have come onto the scene with rapid force and dubious consequences. More than anything right now, people want information, resources, and answers to questions. Sierra Club is hosting a public town hall at Outdoor Chattanooga to help meet those needs. Leaders from the environmental, tech, and municipal sectors will be invited to give context to this issue. The evening will begin with a framework for a responsible community approach to data centers, and we will build from there. Bring your questions, concerns, expertise, and a friend or neighbor!"
medium
I pledge to to ask the commissioners to amend the resolution
Commissioners amend the resolution so the Jailhouse Studios exemption cannot be used as a template for future "small footprint" carve-outs — e.g. a hard, audited square-footage/power cap with public reporting, not a self-certified limit and cap it hard enough that it can't be used as a precedent for the next "small" exemption. Email your Commissioner
hard
2 pledged
I pledge to be informed! show up to the county commissioners meeting
Pledge to attend the Hamilton County Commission meetings in person or watch the livestream and share what happens. Hamilton County Commission Meeting Livestream link
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