Skagit County temporarily bans data centers to protect farmland, water

The Skagit Board of County Commissioners has enacted a six-month temporary moratorium on data center development in unincorporated Skagit County, Washington. This decision, passed on Monday with Commissioners Ron Wesen and Joe Burns voting in favor, aims to provide time for the county to refine its land use regulations to protect vital farmland and water resources.

Will Honea, Skagit County's senior deputy for natural resources, highlighted that the county's restrictive zoning, designed to preserve agricultural land, could inadvertently attract data center developers due to relatively affordable land. However, he cautioned that these flat, fertile lands are often in the Skagit River's natural floodplain, where development is discouraged, and data centers could significantly strain water resources, which are already limited for local farmers.

The moratorium applies to facilities larger than 2,000 square feet or with an electrical load of at least 2 megawatts, and does not include projects within incorporated cities or towns. Agricultural advocacy groups, including Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland and the Western Washington Agricultural Association, expressed support for the ban, emphasizing the need to protect the Puget Sound's last functioning agricultural economy and its resources. The commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on the moratorium on July 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Mount Vernon.