Boise Mayor Proposes Mega Data Center Moratorium
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean is proposing an immediate moratorium on mega data center development within city limits, with the measure scheduled for a public hearing before the Boise City Council. McLean cited concerns about water use, electricity demand, neighborhood impacts and the absence of a statewide regulatory framework.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has proposed an emergency moratorium that would halt mega data center development within the city if approved by the Boise City Council. The council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the measure, which McLean says is needed to protect Boise’s water resources, power grid and neighborhoods while the state considers a broader framework for large facilities.
The proposal comes amid scrutiny of Rhea Data’s early-stage plan for a large data center campus on Bureau of Land Management property southeast of Boise near Blacks Creek Reservoir. Boise currently has no mega data center applications pending within city limits, but officials are responding to broader concerns about grid strain, water consumption and the financial effects of major projects. The article also notes that Bannock County has separately paused data center applications in unincorporated areas while developing its first facility-specific ordinance.