Ascension Parish Hits Pause on Data Centers With 90-Day Moratorium
Ascension Parish officials enacted a 90-day moratorium on data-center development while they develop regulations for the industry. Residents have raised concerns about noise, property values and water use, while officials say no formal data-center project has yet been proposed in the parish.
The Ascension Parish Council enacted a 90-day moratorium on data-center development as it works to create rules for high-impact facilities. The pause follows public concerns about noise, property values and the potential effects of large server campuses, although no company has formally submitted a data-center application in the parish. Operators have reportedly expressed interest in a site near Sorrento at the intersection of Highways 22 and 44.
Council members previously directed the Planning and Zoning Commission to draft development guidelines, including proposed setbacks from homes, schools, hospitals and churches. Officials plan to study approaches used in other parishes during the moratorium, while water consumption remains a central concern as Louisiana experiences a surge in hyperscale development. One Nuclear has separately signed letters of intent covering about 4,000 acres between Ascension and Iberville parishes for an energy complex that could serve data centers and other industrial users.