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Residents ask whether county can block data centers; commissioners point to city zoning and power limits
Summary
At a Clark County work session residents raised questions about local authority over data centers and concerns about their large water and power demands; commissioners said existing facilities inside Springfield fall under city zoning and noted limited county authority.
Residents at a March 4 Clark County work session pressed commissioners about whether the county can prevent data centers from being built, voicing concerns about electricity, water use and community impact.
Pam Oliver asked whether the county could stop a nearby data center from being built. Commissioner Sasha L. Rittenhouse, president of the Board of Clark County Commissioners, replied that an existing data center is inside Springfield city limits and "that is the only one in Clark County that she is aware of" and that the county does not currently have authority to restrict it. Beau Thompson, the county's chief legal counsel, said municipalities can use zoning and moratoria; he cited a nearby city that imposed a 12-year moratorium on data centers.
Commissioner Charles A. Patterson described a local AI data center expansion he said could employ "25–50 employees" and emphasized that while the county has water resources, the "power" to serve large facilities is constrained. Patterson noted that the county has discussed concerns with the Greater Springfield Partnership and the city and that projects already under way will proceed but additional large data centers are unwelcome without infrastructure to support them.
The discussion also touched on related issues residents raised including notices of zoning changes and the role of tax incentives. Diana Daniels urged officials not to offer tax rebates to such companies and faulted how zoning notices have been publicized. Commissioners and staff said zoning remains the primary lever for regulating land use inside cities and villages.
