Lincoln County Commissioners Reject Data Center Moratorium, Regulatory Review to Continue

Lincoln County commissioners rejected a proposed temporary moratorium on data center development with a 3-2 vote on Monday. The resolution, 2026-21, aimed to pause development while county officials studied potential impacts and reviewed local regulations. Commissioners Micaela Wuehler and Kent Weems supported the moratorium, while Joe Hewgley, Chris Bruns, and Jerry Woodruff voted against it.

Throughout the discussion, commissioners emphasized that the vote was not about whether data centers should be allowed in Lincoln County, but rather whether existing regulations were sufficient to manage future projects. Planning and Zoning Administrator Judy Clark stated that the county has been researching data centers for two years and has current zoning regulations, a comprehensive plan, and soils overlay districts in place to manage development. However, Clark also acknowledged the need for "better regulations" and confirmed that staff has begun drafting potential updates.

Concerns from residents regarding water use, electrical demand, setbacks, and noise were central to the debate. Commissioner Bruns questioned Clark on the county's current ability to impose restrictions on these issues, to which she affirmed existing authority. Commissioner Weems, however, expressed concern that current regulations do not adequately differentiate between smaller and hyperscale data centers, citing the critical importance of water resources to the county.

Despite the moratorium's rejection, county officials, including Clark, assured that the work on developing new data center regulations will proceed regardless. The Planning Commission is scheduled to continue gathering information and discussing potential regulatory updates in upcoming meetings, with the next one set for June 9.