Mayor Wamp proposes one-year moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Hamilton County

HAMILTON COUNTY — Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp has 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.”

They say 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.

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.