Residents urge court to adopt strict moratorium and study impacts of proposed data centers

Public comment was dominated by opposition to data centers and calls for a protective, exclusion‑free moratorium. Dozens of callers and in‑person speakers described concerns about water withdrawals, potential wetland impacts, noise and air quality, electricity reliability and the limited local benefits from large data center projects.

Multiple speakers cited state and federal regulatory processes and asked whether applicants had filed permits. Lynn Foster warned about prioritizing data‑center electricity over residents; she asked that companies be required to "be responsible for their own electricity and they should not take 1st priority over our electricity needs." India Jackson said, "Any moratorium without Avaya is completely useless," arguing that exemptions for projects with prior approvals would render the pause ineffective. Environmental and community advocates asked the court to request detailed permit and mitigation information and to require acoustic, air and endangered‑species assessments before projects proceed.

Speakers suggested the court pursue technical briefings and site visits: one resident urged the court to "visit a data center...in a neighborhood that looks like our neighborhood" so members could better understand on‑the‑ground impacts. The court's chair and staff said they would explore options for a regional tour and for bringing expert panels via Zoom to inform future regulatory drafting. No additional regulatory action was adopted at the meeting.