Mississippi senator urges statewide rules before data center growth

State Sen. Hillman Frazier said Mississippi should adopt statewide rules for data center development before the state sees another wave of projects, in a guest essay for Mississippi Today Ideas.

Frazier said residents in his Senate District 27 have raised questions about a proposed data center in Jackson, attending public meetings and organizing neighbors to demand transparency. He said the Jackson City Council, led by Councilman Brian Grizzell, approved a 183-day moratorium on data center approvals to allow more time to develop a local plan, according to his essay.

Frazier argued the public deserves clear facts and standards when projects could strain the electric grid, consume large amounts of water and reshape communities for decades. He pointed to policy moves in other states — including North Carolina’s repeal of sales tax exemptions for electricity used by data centers, Florida’s law regulating data center water use and calls in Texas to end certain tax exemptions — as examples legislators should study, according to the essay.

Frazier said lawmakers should reassess incentives, require greater transparency about energy and water use, and be honest about how many permanent jobs facilities create and who pays if costs exceed expectations. He said he intends to work with residents, colleagues from both parties, local leaders, utility experts and business leaders to develop statewide policies. Frazier, a Democrat from Jackson, has represented Senate District 27 in Hinds County since 1993 and previously served in the Mississippi House, according to his biography in the essay.

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