Mesa County approves one-year moratorium on data centers
Mesa County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on accepting, processing, and approving land-use applications for data centers in unincorporated areas. The pause is intended to give the county time to address community questions about water protection, energy supply, and data center development rules.
Mesa County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium covering data center land-use applications in the county's unincorporated areas. The measure temporarily halts the acceptance, processing and approval of applications while the county considers how data centers should be regulated.
The decision followed public feedback and questions about water use for cooling, energy availability, and the potential effects on residents and local farmers. Commissioners said the pause would allow them to gather additional input and revise the county's land development code before deciding where data centers can be built.