Draft data center regulations: Extensive list of requirements
Lincoln County, Nebraska has released a draft of extensive new zoning regulations for data centers. These proposed regulations address various aspects including community benefits, noise mitigation, water and electricity use, location, setbacks, and decommissioning requirements. A public hearing is scheduled for August 11 to discuss these updates.
Lincoln County, Nebraska, has released a nine-page draft of proposed zoning regulations specifically for data centers. County officials have been working to update existing regulations, which were originally designed for smaller buildings, to address the increasing potential for large, square-mile data center developments in the area.
The proposed regulations cover a wide range of requirements, including legally binding negotiated agreements for community benefits, detailed studies from developers on noise, decommissioning, water and electric consumption, emergency response, and environmental impacts. Key provisions include demonstrating sufficient water and wastewater capacity, ensuring no material impairment to electrical reliability for existing customers, and potentially requiring dedicated electrical generation or energy storage. The regulations also mandate closed-loop or recycled water systems for cooling, with air cooling strongly encouraged, and require projects to be on at least 10 acres with specific setbacks and buffer zones.
Additional requirements include provisions for infrastructure cost responsibility, emergency response plans, specialized fire suppression equipment, and ensuring adequate radio coverage for first responders. Visually, commercial office building aesthetics are encouraged, with design variety for multi-building campuses. Developers must also submit a decommissioning plan and provide financial security, in the form of a bond, covering 125% of the estimated decommissioning costs. A public hearing on these proposed regulations is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, at City Hall.