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Coffee County approves one-year moratorium on data centers after residents cite water and environmental concerns
Summary
After extended public comment citing water use, pollution and community impacts, Coffee County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers to allow further study and planning.
Coffee County commissioners voted unanimously to place a one-year moratorium on data centers in the county, following public comment raising concerns about water use, pollution and long-term community impacts.
The resolution (Resolution 2026-12), which carried a unanimous positive recommendation from the Coffee County Regional Planning Commission, passed 13-0 after residents described potential harms they said could result from large-scale data-center projects. Commissioner Watkins moved the measure and Commissioner Stubblefield seconded it; Commissioner Jones thanked the public for turning out, saying their concerns were “being heard with wide open ears.”
During the public comment period, Moren Burke urged commissioners to “step back and look at the impacts” and explicitly called for a moratorium on data centers (public comment). Steven Arnold, who identified himself as a rural Coffee County resident, told commissioners data centers can strain local water supplies, concentrate pollutants in wastewater streams, and sometimes expand beyond initial proposals, increasing noise and infrastructure demand. Dana Nicoli said she opposed AI-related projects on environmental grounds and urged the commission to study outcomes in other states.
Commissioners and staff noted the moratorium follows the regional planning commission’s recommendation and will give the county time to study potential water, noise, infrastructure and land-use effects before approving new projects. The moratorium was presented as a temporary pause to examine permitting, enforcement capacity and infrastructure impacts; the text of the resolution and any required implementing steps were included in the meeting packet and reviewed by the planning commission.
Next steps identified during the meeting include implementation of the moratorium ordinance as written and review by staff and relevant committees; the commission did not specify a date for return discussion beyond the one-year window in the resolution. The measure passed without recorded amendments.
