Mendocino County supervisors move toward data center moratorium
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to draft an urgency ordinance for a 45-day moratorium on new data center developments. This pause will allow the county to study potential impacts on resources like water and power, as well as noise and neighborhood concerns. The goal is to establish appropriate zoning rules and discretionary power for future data center permitting in Mendocino County.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors unanimously moved to draft an urgency ordinance to implement a 45-day moratorium on new data center development. This decision, made on July 8, 2026, aims to provide the county with time to analyze the potential impacts of "server farms" on local water, power, noise levels, and surrounding communities. Supervisors John Haschak and Ted Williams will form a two-member "data center ad hoc" committee to conduct research and assess the fiscal implications of such developments.
The proposed moratorium, which requires a four-fifths vote under state zoning codes to be adopted, could be extended to a maximum of two years after initial public hearings. Supervisor Haschak emphasized that current county zoning rules offer little discretion for permitting data centers, and the moratorium would create a tool to develop appropriate ordinances reflecting community desires. While Supervisor Williams supports computing, he expressed concerns about the region's limited water resources being used for data center cooling.
Public sentiment on the issue was divided. Helen Sizemore of Ukiah urged the board to act, noting potential developer interest in the state-owned fairgrounds, though planning staff clarified the county lacks land-use authority there. Conversely, Matthew Delbar called the proposal a "virtue signal" and advocated for welcoming new industry, while Janet Rosen of south Ukiah characterized large data centers as "resource extraction." Planning and Building Services Director Julia Krog confirmed her staff had already begun researching data centers and announced her departure for a position with Marin County.