Oldham County extends moratorium on data‑center applications until local regulations are adopted

Oldham County Fiscal Court voted 8–1 on Nov. 18 to adopt an ordinance extending a moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of data‑center, private‑utility and data‑storage facility applications in the county's unincorporated areas until local data‑center regulations are adopted.

The vote came after a brief public hearing in which Don Erler, a resident of Old Highway 53, urged the court to extend the moratorium so planning staff, a citizen task force and other stakeholders could finish drafting rules. "I'd just like to commend the fiscal court ... for imposing the first moratorium," Erler said, adding the draft regulations "are not yet ready to be heard by the fiscal court."

Manager Hawkins clarified the measure under consideration is technically a new ordinance rather than a simple time extension. "I would just like to offer just a little bit of clarification because we're calling it an extension of the initial moratorium. But, in actuality, it's a new ordinance with similar language," Hawkins said. County attorney counsel also confirmed the county's ordinance would govern unincorporated areas; the court discussed whether to wait for incorporated jurisdictions to act but left that decision to the fiscal body.

Judge David Vogel told the court not to expect the implementing regulations to reach the fiscal court until January. The ordinance, recorded in the meeting as KOC 25‑910‑520, pauses county action on data‑center applications "until data center regulations have been approved by the fiscal court," according to the judge's reading of the measure. Court minutes show the motion carried 8–1.

Why it matters: Data centers and large private utilities can bring construction, traffic and utility demands that local governments typically regulate through zoning and technical standards. Supporters of the pause said the moratorium gives planners time to finish technical regulations and to align county and municipal approaches.

What happens next: County planning and development staff and the task force will continue drafting the rules; staff estimated the regulations will be back before the fiscal court in January for consideration. The moratorium will remain in effect until the court adopts the final regulations.