Fairfield County halts new data center projects for a year to assess impact
Fairfield County has unanimously voted in favor of a 12-month moratorium on new data center developments to assess their potential impact. Additionally, the County Council approved a resolution banning data centers from being built on county-owned property and preventing the sale of county land for data center development. County leaders plan to conduct research and hold town halls to gather citizen input before drafting new regulations.
Fairfield County has implemented a 12-month moratorium on new data center developments following a unanimous vote by the County Council. This decision aims to allow leaders to assess the potential long-term impacts of such facilities on the community.
County Administrator Vic Carpenter stated that the plan involves nine months of community listening and learning, including a series of five town halls across the county to gather citizens' viewpoints. This phase will be followed by a research process, which could involve visiting existing data centers and holding workshops with experts and residents, ultimately leading to the drafting of new regulations.
In a separate resolution, the County Council also approved a ban on data centers being built on county-owned property and prohibited the county from selling its land for data center development. The moratorium requires one more reading before officially taking effect, after which community outreach and research will commence. News 19's Jamon Wade reported from Fairfield County.