Humboldt County Supervisors Approve 45-Day Data Center Permit Moratorium
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a 45-day moratorium on new data center permit applications, citing concerns about electricity demand and water consumption. The moratorium can be renewed for up to 11 months and applies primarily to facilities exceeding a 15-megawatt threshold, with exemptions for centers using entirely renewable energy and closed-loop water systems.
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a 45-day freeze on new data center permit applications after negotiating a power-consumption threshold. The moratorium can be renewed for up to 11 months and generally covers facilities using more than 15 megawatts, while exempting centers powered entirely by renewable energy and those using closed-loop water systems. Supervisor Michelle Bushnell was concerned about impacts on smaller facilities, and Supervisor Rex Bohn was the lone dissenting vote.
Supervisors cited potential effects on electricity rates, grid demand and water use as reasons for slowing development. Planning Director John Ford said communities that rapidly embraced data centers had sometimes faced higher electric costs, while Chair Mike Wilson and Supervisors Steve Madrone and Natalie Arroyo expressed support for pausing applications as the county evaluates the broader implications of data center growth and artificial intelligence.