Communities Pause, Regulate Data Center Development

Communities are moving to pause or regulate data center development over concerns about resource use, environmental effects and local impacts. McHenry County, Illinois, is considering a 12-month moratorium and zoning action, Greene Township, Pennsylvania, is preparing siting rules, and Barnes County, North Dakota, approved a six-month moratorium; other Pennsylvania municipalities and Erie County are also developing regulations. In Michigan’s Haring Township, planners approved amendments that would restrict data centers to one industrial district, require a special-use permit, set a 100-acre minimum lot size and mandate municipal water and sewer; the proposal now goes to township trustees. Gregg Township, Pennsylvania, approved the first phase of a project subject to 31 conditions, including noise monitoring, setbacks, closed-loop cooling and emergency-response requirements, while Euharlee, Georgia, adopted an ordinance with tree-preservation rules and a fee for facilities that do not buy electricity from Georgia Power. Twin Township, Ohio, advanced a framework addressing size, noise, water and power use, while residents raised concerns about impacts and unanswered questions; in Cardiff, Wales, planners recommended approval of a controversial project, but a Welsh Government directive prevents the council from deciding while ministers consider whether to take over the decision.