County staff schedule hearings on solar farms and data centers; commissioners raise power and water concerns

Planning and Zoning Administrator Bridget Felmley told the Board on July 6 that draft ordinances for Solar Farms and Data Centers have been prepared and that Planning and Zoning Commission hearings are scheduled July 21 and July 22.

Commissioner Gordon Wilkerson said the board needs to consider whether federal environmental protections will apply and whether the county needs its own rules. Wilkerson raised capacity concerns and offered numerical context, saying a 25-megawatt facility "conservatively will power 17,500 homes," and compared that to a 200-megawatt facility in Kuna. Commissioners agreed to seek technical input from Idaho Power — Felmley said an Idaho Power speaker is scheduled to appear next Monday — and to use the public hearings to gather feedback.

Commissioners also discussed cooling systems for data centers. Wilkerson raised concerns about closed-loop systems and reservoirs that store heated cooling water: "If it's a reservoir that they're dumping it into...that cooling water...becomes contaminated" and, he said, would need containment and treatment before discharge. Commissioner Jim Harberd noted a liner failure could allow contaminants to reach the aquifer or the river. The board did not adopt substantive ordinance language at the meeting; hearings will be the venue for technical presentations and public comment.

Felmley also updated the board that she plans to sit for a floodplain certification exam and asked that the ADU (accessory dwelling unit) ordinance be returned to the August agenda; the board discussed retaining a 600-square-foot minimum for ADUs to discourage conversion of sheds or containers into housing.

Next steps: public hearings on July 21 and July 22 will consider the draft Solar Farm and Data Center ordinances; commissioners plan to question Idaho Power officials about grid capacity and related technical matters during a scheduled appearance.