Hill County rescinds data center moratorium, approves new development policies

The Hill County Commissioners Court voted to rescind a year-long moratorium on data center construction just three weeks after it was initially approved. This decision came after data center developer RCM Hill filed a lawsuit against the county, claiming the moratorium halted a multi-million dollar data center project that had been in development for over a year.

Commissioners cited significant liabilities as the reason for their unanimous vote to lift the moratorium. During the same meeting, Commissioner Scottie Hawkins, one of two who had initially voted against the moratorium, resigned from his position as Hill County Commissioner, Precinct 3.

With the moratorium lifted, the commissioners immediately moved to regulate data centers by approving a new data center development review checklist. This checklist requires developers to provide detailed information about proposed projects, including projections for water use, power demand, construction traffic, noise, economic impact, and project layouts, as well as plans for potential expansions.

Developers will also be required to notify residents about proposed centers through signage and formal announcements to the news media. County leaders stated that this new review process aims to balance economic development with transparency and will allow RCM Hill's proposed data center to move forward, while giving residents a clearer understanding of potential community impacts.