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Jefferson County staff present draft one-year moratorium on data centers amid SB 180 uncertainty
Summary
County staff told commissioners they prepared an ordinance to impose a one‑year moratorium on data centers to give the county time to study environmental and resource impacts; planners noted legal uncertainty under state law SB 180 and recommended a moratorium rather than a permanent ban.
Jefferson County staff presented a draft ordinance to impose a one‑year moratorium on data centers, saying the pause will allow county staff and the planning commission time to study the energy, water and land‑use impacts before drafting long‑term regulations. County planning staff reported the ordinance has been advertised and the planning commission voted to recommend approval.
The proposed moratorium follows board direction from a prior meeting and is intended to cover all data‑center applications while staff develops a regulatory approach. A county staff member summarized the legal landscape, saying SB 180—enacted in 2025—limits local governments’ ability to adopt more restrictive land‑development rules until Oct. 1, 2027, and that the moratorium is a “safer” option to buy time while courts and the legislature clarify authorities.
Why it matters: Commissioners expressed concern about heavy local resource use by large data centers—particularly power and water—and want time to define what types or sizes of facilities the county might allow. Supporters of a moratorium argued it avoids the legal risks of an immediate permanent ban while allowing the county to develop targeted rules.
“At our last meeting, the board directed us to begin the process of preparing an ordinance to impose a 1‑year moratorium on data centers,” staff said, noting the ordinance “is ready for adoption tonight” and that the planning commission recommended approval. A different staff member summarized SB 180: “It essentially says that local governments like cities and counties cannot adopt more burdensome or restrictive amendments… prior to October 1 of 2027.”
Board members debated scope and wording, asking whether the moratorium should target facilities that consume large amounts of natural resources or cover all data‑center applications. Staff said the moratorium would pause applications for large and small centers alike and give staff time to study alternative regulatory approaches; it also could allow the county to permit some smaller or lower‑impact facilities in the future.
Next steps: The transcript records a motion by Commissioner Graham and a second from Commissioner Carroll to proceed with the ordinance, but the recorded segment does not include a final vote tally or formal adoption, so any next procedural step (adoption, amendment or referral to staff) was not specified in the transcript.
