Dunn County issues moratorium on various data, energy projects

Dunn County commissioners in North Dakota have issued a 12-month moratorium on data centers, solar farms, and battery storage facilities. The decision, made last week, follows similar actions taken by Mercer and Oliver Counties earlier this month, which also implemented data center moratoriums. According to Sandy Rohde, Planning and Zoning Director, the purpose of the moratorium is to provide county staff with sufficient time to develop and refine permitting ordinances for these types of projects. The county is also reportedly working on new ordinances specifically for wind farms. The action by Dunn County signals a growing trend among North Dakota counties to pause the development of energy and technology infrastructure to address regulatory frameworks.