Montgomery County discussion over data‑center moratorium ends without a vote after motion gets no second

Montgomery County commissioners debated whether to impose a temporary moratorium on data centers after county administrator Jonathan summarized takeaways from a Topeka data‑center summit and warned of infrastructure and environmental risks.

Jonathan told the commission the summit underscored both large capital investments and substantial infrastructure needs. He said communities reported initial company investments “around the neighborhood of about $1,000,000,000” and also described electric and water constraints, noting the local grid’s current peak is “right around that 4PM to 6PM … around 10 gigawatts” while the grid is built for 15 gigawatts. Jonathan warned that some large data projects could demand much more power and raise water‑use questions, including concerns about closed‑loop coolant mixtures and local wastewater management.

A commissioner moved to place a six‑month moratorium to allow the county time to draft rules and safeguards and to require financial assurances for decommissioning. The motion was placed on the table but received no second and therefore died. The chair then moved the meeting to the next agenda topic.

The debate followed extended public comment on both sides. Supporters of a pause said a moratorium would let the county establish zoning, water‑use limits, and decommissioning requirements; opponents argued a moratorium could deter responsible developers and harm efforts to grow the tax base.

Rather than adopt a moratorium, commissioners asked staff and the county attorney to circulate and refine a draft data‑center policy and to bring portions of it back for open‑meeting review in the coming weeks.