Coweta commissioners consider second data center moratorium

The Coweta County Board of Commissioners is deliberating a second moratorium on data center development within the county, with a vote scheduled for its June 16 meeting. The discussion, held during a recent work session, centers on potential revisions to the county's data center ordinance.

Commissioner John Reidelbach expressed a desire to limit the number of data centers and address onsite power generation to reduce the need for new transmission lines. Coweta County Attorney Nathan Lee noted that while capping data centers might be legally permissible, further research is required. Lee also informed the commissioners that five proposed data centers, including "Project Oak" which has a rezoning hearing on July 21, would likely retain vested rights if a moratorium is enacted, as their applications were submitted under the current ordinance. Commissioner Jeff Fisher supported capping data centers but suggested making ordinance changes without an immediate moratorium.

The commissioners also discussed forming a data center authority or an additional ordinance to oversee operators, an idea proposed by Commissioner Al Smith due to the type of data stored in these facilities. However, County Attorney Lee raised concerns about the enforceability of a template ordinance from the National Association of Data Center Readiness and the legal basis for creating such an authority, citing potential lawsuits.

Ultimately, the commissioners directed staff to add the moratorium issue to their next meeting agenda but provided no specific direction regarding the data center authority. Coweta County previously had a moratorium on data center development throughout much of 2025 while crafting its initial ordinance.