Panel asks Marion County commissioners to extend moratorium on data centers pending comprehensive plan

At a Marion County meeting, members debated the county’s stance on utility‑scale data centers and voted to ask the Board of Commissioners to extend the moratorium on such developments until the county’s comprehensive plan is revised.

The chair opened the work session by asking, “Are we open to data centers in the county?” and relayed that an outside official had suggested the issue be handled through the comprehensive plan rather than in ad hoc ordinance changes. Board members then discussed technical and policy concerns including power draw, cooling systems, water use and expected long‑term job creation.

Why it matters: Members said a comprehensive plan would set the guardrails for where and what kinds of large energy‑intensive facilities are appropriate in unincorporated Marion County. The meeting revisited a prior 2024 resolution (Article 19) that explicitly prohibited cryptocurrency mining; participants debated whether that language covers modern data centers and whether the county should revisit or clarify the rule.

Board members voiced several practical concerns. One member warned that size alone can be misleading because increasingly dense equipment can make even a small footprint demand power “of a small city.” Gordon said a key first step is to “define size” and look at other counties’ templates for regulations rather than starting from scratch. Robert noted that Article 19 previously targeted cryptocurrency mining and asked whether the board should consider un‑prohibiting certain facilities to attract jobs, while also acknowledging that large centers often create more construction jobs than long‑term operations roles.

Members discussed cooling options and water consumption: some facilities use air cooling, while evaporative coolers can consume significant water. One participant pointed to a large, air‑cooled campus example to illustrate how facilities can be configured without heavy water use.

After discussion, a member moved and another seconded a motion to ask the Board of Commissioners to extend the moratorium on data centers and to prioritize comprehensive‑plan work before adopting substantive rules; the chair called for the ayes and the motion passed. The transcript records the motion and a voice vote but does not include a roll‑call tally or the names of the mover and seconder.

The board did not adopt new regulatory language at the meeting; instead it sent a formal request to the Board of Commissioners and agreed to focus its future work on the comprehensive plan. The transcript also includes references to the prior Article 19 resolution (2024) with language specifying cryptocurrency mining operations, which members said may overlap with — but not perfectly match — typical data‑center definitions.

What’s next: The board asked that the moratorium be extended and that the county use the comprehensive‑plan process to determine which utility‑scale industries are permitted in unincorporated Marion County. The motion passed by voice vote; no final ordinance or regulatory change was made at the meeting.