Supervisor urges ordinance to address transmission line and potential data center impacts; board moves to begin drafting

Supervisor Hoadley raised concerns on March 11 about a proposed transmission-line project running from Arbor Hill to Hebron and its potential connection to wind energy and a large data center requiring substantial electricity and water. Hoadley said the scale of a data center could affect county infrastructure and proximity to residences and livestock, and suggested the board consider home rule authority to adopt an ordinance to protect public health, safety and welfare.

Hoadley outlined potential ordinance provisions for the board to explore, including setbacks from residences, limits or reporting on water use, road-use agreements to address heavy truck traffic and decommissioning plans, noise limits, emergency planning and financial assurances. He referenced House File 2001 (HF2001) and its reporting requirements as part of the context for potential regulation and noted the board would need legal review and input from other counties.

The board generally agreed to proceed with further research and requested legal review and stakeholder input; Supervisor Hoadley moved and Supervisor Wedemeyer seconded a motion to begin the process to draft an ordinance addressing these issues, which the board approved.

Why it matters: A county-level ordinance could establish local standards for infrastructure and facilities that require large amounts of power and water, and could affect future siting or mitigation requirements for data-center-scale developments or associated transmission infrastructure.

Next steps: The board asked staff to continue research, pursue legal review and gather input from neighboring counties before drafting a proposed ordinance for later consideration.