Alabama City Weighs Data Center Moratorium That Could Derail Edged's $93M Project

A proposed moratorium on new data center permits in Prichard, Alabama, threatens to upend a planned $93 million facility by Edged, a move that underscores growing local resistance to digital infrastructure projects across the United States.

The Prichard City Council discussed the temporary moratorium last week, according to a report from Fox. Council President Traci Hale introduced the resolution, which could lead to a 480-day pause on new permits for data centers. If approved, the measure would directly affect Edged's plans to build an 8MW facility at 214 Telegraph Road, near the historic Africatown neighborhood.

Edged, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has been working on the development—known as Project Gateway—since last year, though plans only became public in April. The site previously housed a 911 data center and appears to have been vacant since at least 2011, based on Google Maps imagery. The company has established a dedicated project website and indicated that construction could begin as early as late 2026 if approvals proceed.

The proposed facility would be smaller than many of Edged's other developments, functioning primarily as a networking hub to support internet and communications infrastructure. Yet the project has drawn significant local opposition: a Change.org petition against it has gathered more than 4,200 signatures as of this writing.

The moratorium debate comes amid a broader national conversation about the pace of data center construction and its impact on communities, from land use to energy demand. Prichard, a city in Mobile County near Alabama's southern coast, faces the challenge of balancing economic development with resident concerns about transparency and neighborhood character.

Edged was founded by Jakob Carnemark, who also launched Aligned, and its US entity is a portfolio company of Koch Real Estate Investments. Across the United States, Edged has data centers operating or in development in Missouri, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, making the Prichard project one of several fronts in its national expansion strategy.

The city council's next steps will be closely watched by both project supporters and opponents. If the moratorium passes, it would not only stall Project Gateway but could also signal a cautious approach to future tech infrastructure in the region, potentially influencing how other municipalities in Alabama and beyond handle similar proposals.