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Committee adopts narrower approach to data-center zoning, raises floor-space threshold and defers local rules to municipalities
Summary
Committee offered a compromise amendment to a data-centers bill: it raised the server-floor-space threshold to 25% and limited permissive locations to commercial and industrial zones while leaving detailed standards to local zoning.
During the committee's final business, members debated and accepted a committee amendment that rewrote the proposed data-center zoning bill. The amendment raised the threshold defining a data center from 10% to 25% of gross floor area and specified that data centers would be allowed in commercial and industrial zones but not in residential, agricultural or recreational zones.
Senators explained the change responded to testimony that a 10% threshold could unintentionally capture hospitals and other heavy‑technology uses. The amendment focused on returning authority to local governments: municipal planning and zoning boards would continue to set operational conditions and site-specific requirements. "This amendment actually gives that authority back to the communities to decide," one senator said.
Committee discussion also flagged statewide concerns such as electricity capacity, regional impact reviews and technical review groups for site-specific issues (fire suppression, water flow). The committee moved the amended bill to consent but allowed members to pull it if further changes were needed before floor action.
The committee concluded its business with motions to advance several bills to the consent calendar, took committee amendments on multiple items and recessed to executive session before adjourning.
