Data center regulation

ENONAC's interim president argued the docket was added to the agenda after the comment deadline, that the 59-day deferral was improperly shortened, and asked 'what is the rush?' given the moratorium runs to January.

A retired engineer and Pine Village Association president warned of unintended health consequences from cooling towers and urged research before approval.

A Take Back the Power organizer said medium data centers would hit historically Black working-class areas and urged the Commission to advise a total ban.

Organizer said the annual compliance report and emergency-only generators are the bare minimum and that Entergy should have no say.

Called the process environmental racism and said the revised report was released the day after the comment deadline.

Artist and organizer said the city's water, lead, and grid problems make any data center too risky and 100,000-square-foot mediums are shocking.

Citizen urged consideration of heat generation and said the 500-foot buffer is not enough.

Returning resident said a 'medium' 100,000-square-foot data center threatens the city's historic character and asked what's the rush.

Representing the Union of Concerned Scientists, she urged more time, cost allocation for grid upgrades to large users, and offered technical support.

A planning graduate cited ten boil-water advisories in a year and said the 500-foot buffer exists only to open more sites.

Representing the Alliance for Affordable Energy, he asked for a deferral and inclusion of community energy experts in working groups.

Little Woods resident cited catch basin maintenance failures and state transparency concerns in opposing a data center in the East.

A musician who fled Lake Charles's industrial damage said the city wants zero data centers and investment in infrastructure instead.

Ran a room poll on trust in Entergy and the Sewerage & Water Board, cited the 2023 saltwater intrusion, and said 500 feet 'you can hear it.'

Interim president of the Eastern New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission requested a 60-day deferral, saying ENONAC never received legally required notice and the community hasn't had time to review the 57-page report.

Spoke in support of the deferral request for extended community outreach.

Former planning commissioner praised the staff report and supported the hyperscale ban and the 500-foot rules, urging approval and recommendation to the council.

Alliance for Affordable Energy rep called the hyperscale ban a community win and had no objection to a deferral, noting a temporary ban already exists.

Take Back the Power volunteer criticized giving Entergy gatekeeping power, citing campaign contributions and post-Ida charges, and demanded democratic control of the grid.

Wants all data centers banned, not just hyperscale, citing energy and water depletion and pollution.

Organizer argued a 'medium' data center still draws as much power as 12,000 homes, urged a permanent citywide ban on all principal-use data centers.

Said the commission only got a five-slide summary of a 57-page report, noted New Orleans East opposition, and asked for cost penalties and power-usage-effectiveness metrics.