Data center moratorium sent to Metro Council

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

A proposed two-year moratorium on new data centers and other high-impact data processing facilities cleared the Moore County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday night with a 6-0 vote and will be forwarded to the Metro Council for consideration. Commissioner Angelica Lightfoot was absent.

Chairman Dexter Golden said the updated attorney-drafted language would give the county time to develop a permanent ordinance addressing potential impacts on natural resources, water capacity, and the electric grid. The two-year pause, he said, would also allow time for additional study and public input.

“This went to the council; we’ve sent this now twice to the Council,” Golden said. “They’ll now have an actual order for verbiage. We need to get a vote tonight on if y’all agree with this verbiage, we will send this to the council to get this adopted.”

The measure passed unanimously with votes from Bobby Carroll, Jim Crawford, Scott Fruehauf, Dexter Golden, Jimmy Hammond, and Jeff Ross.

• Read the proposed moratorium

What the Ordinance Would Pause

The draft ordinance imposes a countywide moratorium on the development, construction, and issuance of permits or approvals for data centers and related high-impact facilities in Metro Lynchburg/Moore County. It cites concerns that current planning and zoning rules were not written with these uses in mind and points to potential impacts, including high electricity demand, noise from cooling systems and backup generators, substantial water use for cooling, and environmental and land-use compatibility concerns.

Under the proposed moratorium, the county would stop accepting or approving new applications to establish, build, alter, or expand a data center, cryptocurrency mining facility, or other high-impact data processing facility. The pause would apply to approvals such as rezoning requests, special or conditional use permits, and building permits, with an exception for interior renovations that do not increase capacity or have exterior impacts.

Timeline and Next Steps

The moratorium would run from April 20, 2026, through April 19, 2028, unless modified or ended earlier by the Metro Council. During that period, the draft directs county staff to study potential impacts in consultation with local utility providers, develop zoning and performance standards, and hold public workshops and Planning Commission meetings before recommending permanent ordinance changes to the council.

The Metro Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, at the American Legion Building, 119 Booneville Hwy.