County mulls data center, solar farm moratorium
Casey County Fiscal Court unanimously approved a motion to explore possible orders preventing the sale of farmland for data centers and solar farms. Judge/Executive Randy Dial expressed concerns about land loss and the high resource and water consumption by these industries, which he believes would harm the county's agricultural economy. A potential ordinance or executive order on the matter will be presented at a future meeting.
The Casey County Fiscal Court in Kentucky unanimously voted on June 29 to authorize Judge/Executive Randy Dial and County Attorney Tom Weddle to investigate potential orders or ordinances to restrict the sale of agricultural land for data centers and solar farms. This action was prompted by concerns from Judge Dial regarding the significant land requirements and high resource consumption of these industries, particularly water, which he believes could harm the county's agricultural economy.
Dial emphasized the detrimental impact of losing farmland and noted that numerous other Kentucky cities and counties are considering similar moratoriums to protect their agricultural sectors. He acknowledged the financial incentive for farmers to sell land at premium prices but stressed the long-term ecological and economic risks. The proposed measures, which would address both data center and solar farm developments, are expected to be presented at a future Fiscal Court meeting.