Waite Park City Council halts data center development

The Waite Park City Council in Minnesota has unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center developments. The decision was made as a precautionary measure to allow city leaders and staff time to research and understand the potential impacts of data centers on the community. City staff have indicated that no data center proposals have been submitted to date, but they seek to use the moratorium period to study issues such as water usage and to develop appropriate ordinances. This proactive approach aims to establish regulatory frameworks before any applications for data center projects move forward. A small exception in the draft ordinance allows for the construction of 300-square-foot telecommunications shelters with fiber-optic equipment, which staff clarified are not data center-related and do not require water for operation. During the moratorium, the city plans to examine how nearby communities regulate data centers to inform the drafting of its own new regulations.