Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp today announced a proposal for a one-year moratorium on new data centers to gather community input and further study the impacts on rural communities. The proposed moratorium marks the first major initiative of the new Hamilton County Planning Department, which officially begins operations July 1.

“Developments like data centers, with the potential to negatively affect our unincorporated communities, are exactly why we established a county planning department,” said Mayor Wamp. “We’re taking a proactive approach by giving our planning department time to meet with local utility providers and study the impacts of data centers in rural areas so that we can thoughtfully plan for the county’s future.”

During the one-year pause, Planning Department staff will review best practices from other communities that have adopted data center regulations, meet with TVA, EPB, and local water providers to better understand the demands data centers could place on utilities, and gather input from residents and community leaders.

“Growth is coming to our rural communities, and we have a responsibility to plan for it thoughtfully,” said District 9 Commissioner Steve Highlander, chairman of the County Commission’s Public Works and Zoning Committee. “The reality is we don’t know enough yet about the long-term impacts data centers could have on our water, farmland, utilities, and surrounding communities. This moratorium gives residents a voice while we take the time to better understand those impacts before establishing long-term regulations.”

The Hamilton County Commission is scheduled to consider the proposed resolution at its July 1 agenda session, with a vote anticipated at its July 15 meeting.