Caddo Commission Punts on Data Center Moratorium; Legal Hurdles Cited
The Caddo Parish Commission unanimously voted to keep resolutions for a two-year data center moratorium and environmental impact studies in committee, citing legal hurdles. The parish attorney advised that a moratorium cannot be imposed through a resolution and requires zoning authority. This leaves Caddo Parish without clear legal tools to manage future data center development.
The Caddo Parish Commission has indefinitely postponed action on two key resolutions concerning data center development in the area. In an 11-0 vote on Thursday, commissioners opted to keep a proposed two-year moratorium and a companion resolution requiring environmental impact studies in committee, preventing them from advancing to a floor vote.
This decision came after legal counsel from Parish Attorney Donna Frazier, who informed the commission that a moratorium could not be legally imposed through a simple resolution. Frazier emphasized that Caddo Parish would need to establish specific planning and zoning authority to effectively regulate future data center construction and could not bind future commissions on incentives.
Commissioner John-Paul Young proposed the initial two-year moratorium, with Commissioner Ken Epperson introducing the resolution for mandatory environmental impact studies. The commission's move leaves the parish without immediate legal mechanisms to control the speed and terms of data center expansion, highlighting an ongoing challenge for regulatory oversight.