Faulty reasoning signals

• Confirmation Bias - 5.8% (36 hits)
• Anchoring Bias - 3.2% (20 hits)
• Availability Heuristic - 5.7% (35 hits)
• Representativeness Heuristic - 2.4% (15 hits)
• Hindsight Bias - 0%
• Overconfidence Bias - 0%
• Framing Effect - 3.2% (20 hits)
• Loss Aversion - 3.7% (23 hits)
• Status Quo Bias - 6.2% (38 hits)
• Sunk Cost Effect - 5.2% (32 hits)
• Optimism Bias - 10.2% (63 hits)
• Pessimism Bias - 4.5% (28 hits)

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Aldermen delay vote on data center zoning bill, just days before scheduled recess

After back-to-back days of committee discussions, the St.

Louis Board of Aldermen did not take a vote Wednesday on a bill that outlines zoning regulations for data centers.

The bill, which would dictate where data centers can be built in the city — and how the city would regulate their energy needs and the noise they produce — will be back on the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee’s agenda next Tuesday.

That’s just three days before the board’s summer recess starts on July 10, leaving little time to pass the bill.

Committee members decided to table the bill after debate on whether the legislation had been rushed and if it would have enough votes to pass were to reach the full board.

1st Ward Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer sponsored the legislation and has argued the city’s approval of the Midtown data center at the old Famous-Barr warehouse warranted taking a vote sooner rather than later.

“The public is crying out for these regulations to be in place,” Schweitzer said.

“Those are the people we represent and the people we’re supposed to be listening to.”

However, Schweitzer was unable to sway all her committee colleagues.

While they favor regulating data centers, Aldermen Shane Cohn of the 3rd Ward and Rasheen Aldridge of the 14th Ward expressed concern that more time was needed to discuss the finer points of a complicated piece of legislation.

“I just think we need to make sure that we’re doing it correctly and addressing as many concerns as we possibly can,” Cohn said.

“The committee is where that work is supposed to happen.

It’s not supposed to happen on the floor.”

Committee members introduced 11 amendments to the bill, including three at Wednesday’s meeting.

The most discussed lays out what rules in the bill are applicable to smaller data centers currently operating in the city.

The city’s Planning Commission recommended the bill earlier this month.

Due to the substantial amendments, the commission would need to vote on it again.

This bill to establish zoning regulations is separate from another bill that creates environmental and reporting requirements for how much water and energy are used.

The legislation places more requirements on standard data centers — that need more than five megawatts of energy to operate — and major data centers, which would need at least six times as much energy.

For example, major data centers would need to produce reports on anticipated air and water quality impacts, heat emissions and stormwater impacts.

Both standards and majors would be required to receive 95% of their annual electricity consumption from renewable sources by the 10th year of operation.

Advocates for data centers equated the renewable energy standards as a ban on the facilities.

“There’s no pathway to achieve this level of energy on the timeline you have set in this bill,” said Henry Eubank, director of public policy at Greater St.

Louis Inc.

However, Schweitzer said more power generation will need to be built up across the grid to power data centers as more come online, and St.

Louis can’t regulate what utility companies like Ameren produce.

“What I think is possible is that there will only be so many of these that can happen under these regulations,” she said.

“And I think that's OK because I don't think the people of St.

Louis want to see a proliferation of this industry that is unchecked.”

If the Board of Aldermen is unable to pass the bill before the two-month recess, President Megan Green is prepared to call a special meeting in the break to vote on the legislation, Green spokesman Sam Wobbe said.