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Planning commission asked whether it supports county moratorium on data centers
Summary
Staff told commissioners the county adopted a moratorium (effective through 06/30/2027 or until UDO standards are adopted) prohibiting new data-center permits, including facilities for AI and cryptocurrencies, while the county drafts siting and operational standards.
A staff presenter summarized a county commission resolution placing a moratorium on data centers and similar high-compute facilities and said the moratorium is intended to allow time to draft regulations that define where data centers may be located and the standards they must meet.
Staff said the moratorium is in effect until "06/30/2027 or until standards are adopted as part of the UDO, whichever one of those comes first," and that it "prohibits the location, construction, operation, permitting, investing, etcetera of data centers in Knox County and forbids data centers, which includes AI, cryptocurrency, and blockchain computing centers from filing applications for either development plans or permits." Commissioners clarified that the planning commission's review is limited to expressing whether it supports the moratorium as written.
Commissioners discussed timing and the staff work plan for a code amendment, with staff saying the effort is in early stages and will involve research and coordination across jurisdictions. The commission did not adopt a recommendation in the portion of the meeting recorded.
