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Board discusses statewide data-center moratorium and battery-energy storage examples; raises water and power concerns
Summary
Members flagged LD 307, a statewide moratorium on 20-MW-plus data centers sitting on the governor's desk, and referenced a neighboring town's battery-energy and data-storage ordinance as a local model; members raised concerns about water, power and limited job benefits.
A board member briefed colleagues on a statewide moratorium (LD 307) that would pause construction of data centers of 20 megawatts or larger and said the bill is currently on the governor’s desk. The member also pointed to a battery-energy and data-storage ordinance from a neighboring municipality as sample language for local consideration.
Members expressed concerns about the resource demands of large data centers — particularly power and water for cooling — and about whether such facilities deliver local workforce benefits. "These facilities don't require many employees," one member said, noting tax capture may not translate into local jobs. The member suggested old mill sites often have existing utilities and could be targeted for such developments, but cautioned communities should weigh infrastructure impacts.
The board did not take formal action but requested staff and members monitor the bill and related local ordinances; several members suggested sharing the Garner ordinance language as a reference for future local policy work.
