Somerville Council Enacts 18-Month Data Center Moratorium
The Somerville City Council has unanimously approved an 18-month moratorium on data centers within city limits. This decision follows weeks of community protests against a proposed Bitcoin mining facility and a prior resolution from the Morgan County Commission.
The Somerville City Council has unanimously voted to approve an 18-month moratorium on data centers within its city limits. This decision comes after weeks of vocal community protests regarding a proposal to construct a Bitcoin mining facility by a Texas-based data company. The moratorium aims to temporarily block new data center developments.
Last week, the Morgan County Commission had passed a resolution opposing the data center proposal, citing a lack of specific zoning laws in Somerville. However, Mayor Darren Tucker affirmed that the town retains the authority to enact a temporary moratorium. He stated, "We're just trying to protect and preserve what we got. We want to preserve that hometown feel."