Morgan County Commission approves 12-month moratorium to block bitcoin data center
The Morgan County Commission unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas, pausing the development of a proposed bitcoin mining facility by Sovereign Gazelle near Somerville. Residents voiced significant concerns about noise, appearance, water, power usage, and potential environmental impacts on endangered species. State Senator Arthur Orr is working on a bill to give counties more regulatory authority over data center siting, potentially requiring them to be in industrial parks.
The Morgan County Commission has unanimously enacted a 12-month moratorium on data center development in unincorporated areas following a contentious meeting where residents expressed strong opposition to a proposed bitcoin mining facility near Somerville. The moratorium aims to provide time to study and evaluate the environmental impacts and neighborhood disruptions such facilities may cause.
The bitcoin mining operation, planned by Sovereign Gazelle, a company incorporated in April, intended to build a 10-acre facility on a 15-acre property at 369 Union Road. Residents raised concerns about noise, the visual impact, and the substantial electricity and water usage required for the 50-megawatt facility, which would power approximately 42,000 homes. Teenage resident Eli Bentley specifically highlighted the potential harm to three species of endangered bats, as well as turtles, salamanders, and mollusks in the area, requesting an environmental impact assessment.
Joe Wheeler EMC, the utility provider, stated its neutrality but acknowledged it cannot refuse service to entities meeting its bylaws. The developer has sought rights-of-way for 75-foot utility poles, but four property owners have thus far refused. State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) is drafting a local bill for Morgan County that would require data centers to be located in industrial parks or grant the County Commission more regulatory authority over their permitting, possibly serving as a model for statewide legislation.