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Hart County extends solar moratorium and adopts 180-day moratorium on data centers
Summary
The board extended an existing solar moratorium for 180 days and voted to adopt a 180-day moratorium on data center development, citing concerns about water, power demand and local infrastructure impacts; no developer-specific approvals were denied at the meeting.
At the May 20 meeting Hart County commissioners approved two separate temporary moratoria.
Solar moratorium: The board moved to extend the county’s solar moratorium for 180 days to allow staff time to clarify permitting language and zoning implications; the motion carried on a 5-0 vote.
Data center moratorium: After a discussion about data centers' large water and power demands and concerns raised about eminent-domain uses and long-term impacts, a commissioner moved to impose a 180-day moratorium on data center development while the county reviews regulatory options and infrastructure implications. One commissioner who had attended regional training on data centers warned of risks to counties from large users of water and power; another noted that technology may become more efficient over time. The moratorium motion passed unanimously (5-0).
Board members said the moratoria are intended to give staff time to draft or refine ordinances that would address utility impacts, siting, and any mitigation or hosting agreements. The board did not identify any pending data center or solar applications that were denied at this meeting.
Next steps: planning staff will report back with options for ordinance language, utility-impact studies and possible standards or agreements to govern future solar and data center proposals.
