Aberdeen mayor explains why council decided to extend data center moratorium
Aberdeen city leaders voted to extend the moratorium on new data centers until July of next year. The extension gives the city more time to draft rules addressing facility size, noise, water and electricity use, and workforce and housing impacts.
Aberdeen, South Dakota, has extended its moratorium on new data centers until July of next year. The City Council took the action after hearing from the public, continuing a pause originally scheduled to run through November while officials developed a local ordinance.
Mayor Travis Schaunaman said the moratorium does not mean Aberdeen is closed to business, but that future data centers would need to be good neighbors. The proposed ordinance is expected to address facility size, noise, water and electrical consumption, as well as the city’s ability to accommodate construction and operating workers amid housing constraints.