Ralls County data center moratorium in place, commissioners want voters to have their say
Ralls County, Missouri, commissioners have enacted a one-year moratorium on data center developments after learning a company was pursuing land and power applications. The decision was made proactively to prevent any potential project from being grandfathered in before the county could establish regulations. Commissioners now plan to put the issue of allowing data centers to a public vote, possibly in April.
Ralls County, Missouri, has swiftly enacted a one-year moratorium on data center developments following the discovery of a potential data center company attempting to secure land and power in the county. According to Presiding Commissioner John Lake, the three-member commission acted within 12 hours of learning a property owner might have signed a proposal to sell 53 acres to a data center company, and that the same company had submitted a power application to the county's electric co-op. The commissioners noted that no company had professionally contacted them directly.
The commission held a public meeting on a Sunday, which was packed with residents, and subsequently signed the moratorium to prevent any data center projects from being grandfathered in before the county could establish a clear stance. Commissioner Lake emphasized the importance of a county-wide vote to gauge the true sentiment of the 10,000 residents, rather than relying on social media feedback. This action also led to the cancellation of a public hearing on a data center moratorium previously scheduled by the county's planning and zoning committee.
The commissioners are now pushing for residents to vote on whether data centers should be allowed in Ralls County, with hopes of including the measure on the upcoming April ballot. This proactive approach by Ralls County contrasts with varying responses to data center proliferation seen across other counties in the region.