Deuel County approves one-year moratorium on power plants, rejects six-month data-center pause

Deuel County commissioners and the Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 3, 2026, voted to impose a one‑year moratorium on public power plants, requiring an environmental and community impact study, while declining a proposed six‑month moratorium specifically on data centers.

At a joint public hearing and meeting convened in the Deuel County Courthouse, Chairman Jay Grabow explained that a recent public request sought moratoria on data centers, transmission lines and power plants but that transmission lines were already being addressed through a separate ordinance process. The board and the Planning & Zoning Commission considered public comments both opposing and supporting temporary pauses to new development.

Martin Vega of Applied Digital, a company active in local proposals, told the meeting that developers prefer predictable zoning standards and warned that a moratorium could delay productive ordinance development; he said a current site plan under review calls for two buildings totaling about 430 megawatts and described plans to hire a local community engagement coordinator and establish a temporary local office.

Commissioners and zoning members debated separate motions. A motion to establish a six‑month moratorium on data centers, moved by Grabow and seconded by Kevin DeBoer, failed on a roll call vote among zoning members (Kanengieter—No; Lammers—Yes; DeBoer—No; Grabow—No; Dahl—No). By contrast, zoning members approved a one‑year moratorium on public power plants, coupled with an environmental and community impact study; that motion, moved by DeBoer and seconded by Grabow, carried unanimously among the planning board members present.

After the joint meeting, the county commission acted to "start the moratorium process." Commissioner Scott Fieber moved and Steve Rhody seconded the directive for Auditor Courtney Parker to begin the administrative steps; the county roll call was Homan—Nay, Mewherter—Nay, Fieber—Yes, Rhody—Yes, Grabow—Yes, and the motion carried.

Project proponents and opponents raised common themes during public comment. Supporters of a moratorium cited concerns about long‑term industrial expansion, potential impacts on rural character, noise, traffic, strain on local infrastructure, and questions about tax exemptions and net community benefit. Opponents, including developers represented by Vega, urged clearer zoning rather than a pause that could delay review and local input processes.

The planning commission also discussed transmission‑line zoning in the same hearing; it moved an amendment that would allow reduced setbacks with landowner permission and set a first reading of the broader ordinance amendment for March 3, 2026.

Next steps: the county auditor was directed to begin the moratorium process and county and planning staff will coordinate the scope and schedule of the environmental and community impact study required under the power‑plant moratorium. No effective date for the moratorium was set in the minutes; staff follow‑up is expected.