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Economic development update flags data-center interest and local concerns over water, power, and solar permitting
Summary
Economic development staff reported multiple industrial leads and a signed purchase-and-sale for industrial park land; commissioners and planning staff urged caution on data centers (power/water demands) and solar fields (planning board declined to recommend hearings) and asked for policy workups before permitting approvals.
Columbia County’s economic development director told the commission of ongoing site activity and prospects, including a signed purchase-and-sale for a 30‑acre industrial parcel with rail access and several projects in manufacturing, food storage, and energy storage.
Jennifer, the county economic development director, listed active sectors — building materials distribution (a signed purchase-and-sales agreement reported), robotics manufacturing, critical minerals, batteries and energy storage, steel and ammunition manufacturers — and emphasized county constraints such as water capacity. She said a proposal requiring 13 million gallons per day would be infeasible locally.
Commissioners and planning staff discussed data‑center interest and cautioned that transmission studies and power-company approvals are required before such projects can proceed. Jennifer said the state has signaled it is not incentivizing data centers and noted transmission studies typically take six to nine months.
Planning staff also described recent actions on solar fields: the planning and zoning board signaled it would no longer recommend solar special‑use hearings in the current form and the planning director urged development of local standards and a workshop to give the county clearer grounds to condition or decline projects. Commissioners urged a policy workshop on both data‑center screening and solar standards to protect water and grid capacity.
