Tazewell County Board is next stop for proposed data center moratorium
The Tazewell County land use committee unanimously recommended a nine-month moratorium on accepting or approving new data center applications in unincorporated areas. The proposal will go to the Tazewell County Board for a final vote, while officials develop comprehensive rules addressing zoning, noise, energy and water use, infrastructure, and environmental impacts.
The Tazewell County land use committee unanimously recommended approval of a proposed nine-month moratorium on new data center applications in the county’s unincorporated areas. The measure is scheduled for a final vote by the Tazewell County Board on Oct. 28, after receiving a unanimous recommendation from the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
If approved, the moratorium would remain in effect through July 28 unless repealed or modified earlier. During the pause, the county’s land use committee and community development department would draft a comprehensive data center ordinance. An early version would restrict data centers to industrially zoned land and address setbacks, noise, lighting, energy and water consumption, cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, environmental impacts, traffic, emergency response, and decommissioning.