Skagit County Commissioners hold hearing on data center moratorium
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing regarding the county's six-month moratorium on data centers, which was approved on June 1. The moratorium prevents new permit applications in unincorporated areas while permanent regulations are developed. Concerns about water supply, electrical demand, noise, and agricultural impacts were raised by residents and officials during the hearing.
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners recently conducted a public hearing concerning the county's six-month moratorium on data center developments, initially approved on June 1. This moratorium halts permit applications for data centers larger than 2,000 square feet or with an electrical load of two megawatts or more in unincorporated Skagit County, allowing the county to formulate permanent regulations.
Skagit County Senior Civil Prosecuting Attorney Will Honea informed commissioners that the Planning Department might not complete these regulations before the moratorium's December 1 expiration, necessitating a potential extension. Honea highlighted the current lack of a data center definition in county code, which creates challenges in siting new technologies appropriately. He primarily focused on the impact on Skagit County's water supply, noting the significant water rights held by the City of Anacortes and the Skagit Public Utility District, which could attract major water users like data centers. Commissioner Joe Burns also voiced concerns regarding water, power, and land use.
During the public comment period, all eleven residents who spoke supported the moratorium, with many expressing worries about data centers' effects on local agriculture. Skagit PUD Commissioner Andrew Miller stated his personal opposition to large-scale data centers, arguing they conflict with the county's commitment to protecting farmland and its agricultural economy. Honea emphasized the county's need to proactively regulate data centers to align with its comprehensive plan and community values, given that broader state or federal regulations may not suit Skagit County's unique conditions.