Data center moratorium introduced by Lancaster County Commissioner

Lancaster County Commissioner Matt Schulte has introduced a 12-month moratorium on data center development, aiming to temporarily halt new projects to allow the county to establish appropriate regulations. The proposal, made during the County Board's weekly staff meeting, seeks to ensure that any future data center use aligns with the county's character and addresses potential impacts on resources, infrastructure, and the community.

Schulte cited concerns from constituents and referenced similar actions by neighboring Seward, Otoe, and Gage counties, as well as the city of Lincoln's recent decision not to consider new data centers. If approved, the moratorium would lead to the formation of a committee to study and collect information for new text amendments regulating data centers, while also halting all future data center development within the county's jurisdiction.

The County Board is scheduled to address the proposal in two weeks, where they may vote on it or refer it to the Lincoln-Lancaster Planning Department for further input. The move comes as Nebraska has seen a surge in data center activity, with over a dozen counties approving moratoriums and Governor Jim Pillen signing an executive order to end tax incentives for data centers and appointing a task force.

The article also notes that Stark Power, an Israel-based developer, has signed options for over 1,400 acres near Hallam for a planned 1.7 gigawatt data center, a project that would be affected by the county's moratorium. Additionally, Monolith, a carbon black manufacturer, plans a smaller data center near Hallam, but this project falls under Hallam's zoning jurisdiction and would not be impacted by the county-level moratorium.