The Monroe County Sanitation, Planning & Zoning, Land Information and Invasive Control Committee has approved a proposed resolution establishing a temporary moratorium on accepting applications for and issuing zoning permits for medium- and large-scale data centers and battery energy storage facilities.
Nodiac Speaks
Nodiac representatives told committee members they support the county taking time to develop regulations. They said the proposed moratorium should distinguish between smaller projects like theirs and large hyperscale data centers. "We're concerned about the language of the moratorium, and to be clear, we're actually not concerned about the moratorium itself," Nodiac rep Peter Haney said. Nodiac engineering associate Gabrielle Rosen said the company "watched the data center boom go in the wrong way, and we really want to do it differently," describing Nodiac's proposal as a 12-megawatt, community-scale project rather than a hyperscale facility. Director of Development Eric Shannon added, "We support the county taking a hard look at large data centers," but asked officials to either revise the resolution to exempt smaller projects or delay action to allow additional discussion.
During the public hearing, representatives of Nodiac said the company is prepared to provide an annual community benefits package if its proposed 12-megawatt data center in Adrian Township moves forward. The company said it has set aside $30,000 to $50,000 per megawatt each year, which would total approximately $360,000 to $600,000 annually for the proposed facility. According to Nodiac, the funding would be separate from any property tax revenue and could be directed toward priorities identified by local officials through a community benefits agreement. Company representatives also said they are willing to discuss additional payments if the project's tax assessment is lower than expected and expressed openness to helping offset residents' electric bills.
Residents speak
Several residents urged the committee to adopt the moratorium to allow more time to study the potential impacts of data centers. Ridgeville Township Supervisor Ron Louthe said, "We're in favor of the moratorium, and we think that no matter what the size is, we still need to gather information on the impact." He added that "what does matter is that we sit down and think about all the impacts of this and take our time doing it."
Adrian resident Sindia Jacobs praised the committee for considering an 18-month pause, saying, "It doesn't matter whether this is a really big project or a really little project. We need to do it right. We need to answer the questions." Jacobs also cautioned that "small can turn into another small... pretty soon," and that the cumulative impact could become much larger, urging officials to consider the long-term effects on the community.
Holly Larson of Sparta urged committee members to approve the moratorium and ultimately prohibit data centers in Monroe County. "I am strongly urging the committee to vote yes on the 18-month moratorium on data centers," Larson said. She argued that "the rapid expansion of data centers across the U.S., driven by generative artificial intelligence, presents one of the biggest environmental and social threats of our generation." Larson also questioned whether smaller facilities should be treated differently, asking, "What is stopping this company from eventually building multiple small capacity centers that lead to a much bigger problem?" and said she saw "no reason to change wording of the moratorium to benefit Nodiak or any other data centers."
The Proposal
The resolution was passed and will now move to the Monroe County Board of Supervisors for consideration at its meeting on Tuesday, July 21.
The proposal does not affect small-scale data centers, which the resolution defines as facilities operated by a single organization for its own internal use that consume less than 500 kilowatts of power.
If approved by the Monroe County Board, the moratorium would remain in effect for up to 18 months while the county studies the potential environmental, economic, health and safety impacts of these larger facilities and develops zoning regulations specific to them.
The proposed resolution is here Resolution 7-26-04 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON THE RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS FOR OR ISSUANCE OF ZONING PERMITS FOR THE SITING OR PLACEMENT OF LARGE AND MEDIUM DATA CENTERS AND BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES IN MONROE COUNTY
The Monroe County Herald will continue to follow the proposal and provide updates as it moves through the county's review process.
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