Lancaster County is moving forward with a new task force to study how data centers should be developed in the county, replacing an earlier proposal to temporarily halt new projects.
County Commissioner Matt Schulte told KLIN News Tuesday that the 12-month data center moratorium he previously proposed will not move forward. Instead, the county will use the task force to develop recommendations for how and where data centers should be allowed. “There’s not going to be a moratorium on the data centers. Instead, we’re replacing it with this commission that’s going to study and make recommendations on how best to allow data centers to be in the county, in the right place, at the right time, using the right amount of utility,” Schulte said.
Schulte said electricity and water use will be among the major issues examined by the group. He said commissioners want to determine whether the large amount of electricity used by a data center could affect rates for other customers. Water availability is another concern, particularly in areas of Lancaster County where groundwater is more limited. “The big concerns are about electricity usage, and particularly how might that affect local rates,” Schulte said. “If you get someone coming in and buying up tons of electricity, does that drive up everybody else’s electrical rates?”
The task force is also expected to consider water discharge, potential regulations, the appropriate size of data centers and where they could be located.
Schulte said current county zoning regulations do not provide for data centers. A developer seeking to build one would first need the county to change those regulations. One such change has already been proposed, but Schulte said it will not be considered until the task force completes its work.
Schulte said he hopes the task force includes significant representation from rural Lancaster County, particularly residents who live in areas actually governed by county zoning regulations.
Despite the concerns surrounding utility use and development, Schulte said the effort is not intended to keep data centers out of Lancaster County. “We do think that we as a society need data centers,” Schulte said. “We just want to make sure that they’re in the right place at the right time, using the right amount of utilities.”
Schulte described the task force’s timeline as “very aggressive,” saying county officials recognize the need to establish rules for potential data center development.