Fremont County imposes six‑month moratorium on data centers to allow county rules

Fremont County commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 25 to adopt Resolution No. 19, series of 2026, imposing an emergency temporary moratorium of up to six months on the construction of data centers in all county zoning districts.

County Attorney Eric Bellas told the board the moratorium is precautionary, not a response to any pending application: “This will allow our planning and zoning department to develop and propose regulations that would apply to the location of data centers within Fremont County in the event that anyone ever seeks to place a data center here.” Commissioners and staff said the county has not received inquiries seeking to site a data center but wants standards in place should one be proposed.

Commissioners and the county attorney cited two principal concerns: water use for cooling and electricity demand. Bellas explained that some data centers use open‑loop water cooling and require “a tremendous amount of water,” and that power needs can strain local capacity. The board set the moratorium to allow planning staff time to research, draft and bring proposed zoning standards back to the board for consideration within the six‑month window.

Chair [name on record as Chair] confirmed the timeframe and the board’s intent to proceed deliberately: when the chair asked, “And that time frame is 6 months. Is that correct?” Commissioner Grantham responded, “That is correct.” The resolution passed on a unanimous roll call vote.

The moratorium takes effect countywide immediately and will remain in place for up to six months while staff and the planning commission draft recommended regulations. The commissioners said the action is intended to protect county resources and ensure local controls are available if and when developers seek to locate data centers in Fremont County.