19 Democrats back a 1-year pause on new data centers
A group of 19 Democratic candidates for the South Dakota Legislature has pledged to seek a one-year moratorium on new data centers if elected. This initiative follows a previous statewide moratorium bill that was rejected by a House committee earlier this year. The candidates aim to protect communities from the potential impacts of hyperscale data centers.
Nineteen Democratic candidates running for seats in the South Dakota Legislature have pledged to pursue a one-year moratorium on new data center construction if elected this November. The initiative, dubbed the 'Data Center Accountability Pledge' (D-CAP), emerged organically among candidates concerned about the potential impact of hyperscale data centers on their communities.
This push for a moratorium follows a similar effort earlier this year when House Bill 1301, proposing a statewide one-year moratorium, was rejected by the House State Affairs Committee on a party-line vote. The previous bill was co-sponsored by House Democratic leader Erin Healy, Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey, and Senate Democratic leader Liz Larson, all from Sioux Falls.
Amanda Potter, a House Democratic candidate from Sioux Falls and a signatory of the pledge, stated that while all current signers are Democrats, the pledge is intended to be non-partisan and welcomes candidates from any party. She anticipates more candidates will join in the coming weeks.
In addition to the moratorium discussion, the Legislature passed two other data center-related bills this year: House Bill 1038, which allows the state Public Utilities Commission to charge data centers the actual costs of application handling, and Senate Bill 135, designed to protect residents from increased utility costs and shortages caused by data centers, while clarifying regulatory authority. All Democratic legislators voted in favor of these two bills.