Lincoln County backs down on hyperscale data center moratorium

Lincoln County, South Dakota commissioners rejected a proposal for a one-year moratorium on hyperscale data center development. Commissioner Joel Arends pitched the moratorium to allow further research on the benefits and impacts of data centers, but it failed to get a second. Many local residents expressed concerns about data centers' electricity/water use, noise, and potential health impacts. However, Commission Chair Tiffani Landeen and others felt the county's existing regulations were sufficient, and a moratorium was unnecessary given the lengthy permitting process for such large projects. The commissioners ultimately voted down the proposed moratorium.