Eugene residents call for data center moratorium at city council meeting
Eugene residents are calling for a data center moratorium at a city council meeting, citing concerns over noise and corporate influence. The council is scheduled to hold a work session on December 14th to discuss regulating data centers, following a recent instance where local zoning stopped a data center project.
Eugene residents packed City Hall on Monday night, urging city leaders to support a data center moratorium. Although the moratorium was not on the official agenda for the city council meeting, 72 individuals signed up for the public comment period to voice their concerns regarding data center developments.
Ward 2 Councilor Matt Keating specifically highlighted worries about noise, presenting an example of the sound emitted by a 30-megawatt data center in a town similar in size to Eugene in Michigan. All councilors expressed general concerns about data centers. This public outcry follows a recent event where Eugene's E1 zoning successfully prevented a data center from moving into the former Hynix Center.
The Eugene City Council is scheduled to hold a dedicated work session on December 14th to explore options for regulating data centers within the city.