Gage County Planning and Zoning Commission recommends 18-month moratorium on data centers
The Gage County Planning and Zoning Commission in Nebraska unanimously recommended an 18-month moratorium on data centers after extensive public comment. Residents voiced strong concerns about potential environmental impacts and strain on local water and electricity supplies, particularly in light of a proposed Google data center. The decision now moves to the County Board of Supervisors for final approval.
On Tuesday night, the Gage County Planning and Zoning Commission in Beatrice, Nebraska, unanimously voted to recommend an 18-month moratorium on data centers, a decision met with applause from a packed courtroom. This moratorium aims to prevent the issuance of conditional and special use building permits for data centers while county officials develop new regulations for their construction. The recommendation will now be forwarded to the County Board of Supervisors for final approval.
The commission's decision followed over two hours of public testimony from residents who largely opposed data center development. Concerns centered on the environmental impact, specifically the strain on the county's water and electric supply, especially given the ongoing drought and the high water consumption of data centers, which can reach up to 5 million gallons daily. Residents also referenced reports of Google considering a data center in southeast Nebraska, projected to consume more than three times the power used by the city of Lincoln.
Briana Bartlett of Cortland argued that a large employer using vast amounts of water for only a few jobs represents an "extraction on our county," sacrificing local resources for corporate profit. Eli Waring, an associate developer with Tenaska, an energy company exploring large-scale power customers like data centers, was the sole voice against the moratorium. He warned that such a measure could send a negative signal to the business community. Residents also cited recent state legislation, LB663, which streamlines permit reviews, as a reason for needing the moratorium to ensure proper consideration of data center projects.