Memphis City Council is set to vote this week on a temporary moratorium that would pause new data center construction across the city. It's a chance to slow down growth that residents say has already outpaced their say in it.

SpaceXAI opened its fourth data center in Memphis "without the knowledge or input of the communities that will bear the consequences," according to State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis). "That is not how responsible development should happen," Pearson said. "Innovation that requires somebody else's sacrifice is not progress. Technology should serve people. People should never be sacrificed to serve technology."

Memphis wouldn't be the first Tennessee community to hit pause. Warren County, Knox County, Coffee County, and Metro Nashville have all temporarily stopped approving new data centers while local leaders figure out how to manage the strain on land, power, and water.

The same week the council considers this moratorium, it is also set to direct $3.3 million toward the neighborhoods near an existing SpaceXAI site, including money for home repairs, blight cleanup, air quality monitoring, and window air conditioners for nearby residents. Communities should not have to wait for a company to build first and make repairs after, and they should not have to watch neighboring counties act while their own leaders stay quiet.

Council Chair Jana Swearengen-Washington, along with Yolanda Cooper-Sutton and former chair J.B. Smiley, sponsored this pause. The rest of the council should join them.

Sign the petition urging the Memphis City Council to pass the data center moratorium now, before another project moves forward without the community even knowing.