Two Memphis Lawmakers Take Different Paths on Energy and the Environment
Two state lawmakers from Memphis are competing for a seat in Congress. Their records show sharply different views on wetlands, data centers, and the rules that protect air and water.
Republican nominee Brent Taylor has backed changes that reduce some environmental rules. Democratic nominee Justin J. Pearson has called for stronger limits on data centers and more protection for people and the environment.
A Change to Wetland Protections
Taylor sponsored a state law that removed many protections for wetlands expected to be affected by construction. The change also reduced the information developers must send to the state environmental agency. With fewer reports, the state may have a harder time keeping track of wetland losses.
Wetlands are connected to creeks, rivers, and underground water supplies. They support many kinds of plants and animals, and they can help reduce damage from both floods and droughts. Many swamps and forested lowlands were destroyed during European settlement. Tennessee began protecting wetlands in 1971.
Several state agencies opposed the wetlands bill when it was first considered. They did not speak against it when it returned for another round of debate. Taylor worked on the measure with state Rep. Kevin Vaughan, a Republican from Collierville and a Memphis-area developer. Vaughan had been involved in a project that illegally filled a wetland.
During a legislative hearing, Taylor used a crude phrase to describe his support for removing the rules. The bill passed and weakened protections for many wetlands across the state.
Different Plans for Data Center Power
Both candidates sponsored proposals related to data centers, but only Taylor’s bill became law. It changed rules for power made directly by a facility or bought from an independent power producer. This arrangement is known as “behind-the-meter” power.
The change lets data center operators build their own power plants or buy electricity from private generators instead of relying on a utility. Taylor argued that the law would help protect regular customers from the costs of data centers.
The law does not require these private power plants to meet state oversight rules or use clean energy. As developers build more data centers, the change could bring a large increase in pollution.
One planned project near Chattanooga would use two on-site power sources:
- A natural gas plant rated at one gigawatt, roughly the output of a typical nuclear reactor.
- A half-gigawatt biomass plant that would burn organic material to make electricity.
The biomass plan could burn wood from more than 65,000 acres of forest each year to power one data center. Burning wood for electricity can create more climate pollution than burning methane gas. It can also add harmful pollution to the air.
Taylor’s data center bill passed easily with support from the Republican supermajority in the state legislature.
Taylor’s Broader Energy Goals
Taylor has said he wants to expand the use of oil, natural gas, and nuclear power in the United States. He has also voiced support for voluntary programs to preserve farmland. His campaign materials do not set out a plan for environmental protections.
Pearson Calls for Limits
Pearson supports a statewide pause on building large data centers. He says state protections for land, public health, and workers may need to come from the federal government because Tennessee’s Republican leadership is closely aligned with business interests. He is preparing legislation on the issue.
“We’re going to have to make sure the environment is protected. We’re going to have to make sure the workforce is protected,” Pearson said.
He has also spoken in favor of a possible pause on data center development in Memphis. After city officials barred him from future meetings, Pearson sued the City Council, arguing that the decision violated his free-speech rights.
Pearson’s Environmental Record
Pearson first drew public attention as a community organizer leading protests against a proposed oil pipeline in Memphis. He continued working on environmental issues after joining the state legislature.
He proposed limiting how state agencies use artificial intelligence. He also sponsored bills that would require the state environmental agency to create a public list of facilities that could release toxic materials. Another proposal would require large data centers to get half of their electricity from sources that do not use fossil fuels, such as renewable energy.
Pearson voted against Taylor’s bills on data centers and wetlands. He has not yet passed any legislation. If elected to Congress, he says he would shape his policies around the needs of his constituents rather than the interests of corporations. He said people are “tired of the corruption.”