Commissioners approve data center moratorium

Mesa County has been working on updates to its land development code. During that process, commissioners and county officials received extensive feedback on the regulation of potential data center projects in Mesa County. 

Data center facilities are not addressed in the old land use code, which was last updated in 2020.

While work on the land development code continues, commissioners unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium at the Sept. 29 public hearing. The moratorium temporarily pauses the acceptance, processing and approval of land use applications for data center facilities in unincorporated Mesa County. It takes effect immediately.

The moratorium supersedes the current guidelines and gives county staff time to continue updating other parts of the land development code while gathering public feedback and input on data center regulation.

The county has no pending applications for data center projects.