Jackson County weighs 120-day stop on new data centers, battery storage projects

Jackson County, Missouri, is currently weighing a proposal for a four-month moratorium on approving new data centers and battery energy storage systems. The bill, sponsored by Sean Smith and introduced at an April 6 meeting, calls for a 120-day pause on processing related land use applications. Supporters of the moratorium state that this temporary halt would provide the county with crucial time to formulate a comprehensive long-term policy and update existing codes. This work is expected to include establishing new regulatory standards and strengthening public notification requirements for such projects. The consideration of this moratorium comes after a legal challenge in Independence, Missouri, where residents attempted to overturn city approval for a data center. A judge ultimately ruled that voters did not possess the authority to compel a public vote on the issue, allowing the data center project to proceed. The proposal for the county-wide moratorium has been referred to a committee for further discussion.