Slowing Down Data Centers

Data center projects are under consideration in communities across the country and often face significant opposition from residents due to the large amount of energy and water they can require. The Shawnee County Planning Commission has proposed that any data center project considered in the county should undergo the Conditional Use Permit process instead of being automatically allowed to move forward. On June 11, the Board of County Commissioners will consider this proposal and take comments from the public.

Subjecting data center projects to the Conditional Use Permit process is a positive step, ensuring such projects undergo review and approval of the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners. However, since the environmental impact of these projects can be so large, we would encourage the Board to go a step further and consider a temporary moratorium on data center projects. A moratorium would give county staff time for research and for crafting regulations that would guide decision-makers when project proposals arise. This is the path they took with large-scale solar installations, and we believe data center projects deserve at least as much forethought, research, and scrutiny. 

If you would like to weigh in on this issue, we would encourage you to read what you can about data centers and decide whether you support (1) no barriers to construction, (2) the Conditional Use Permit process alone, or (3) a moratorium to delay data center projects so that staff can develop guidelines to inform decisions made through the Conditional Use Permit process in the future.

The public hearing will take place on June 11 at 9:00 a.m. in the Shawnee County Commission chambers (707 SE Quincy). You can submit public comment in advance to commission@snco.us.