Tazewell County Moves Toward Nine-Month Data Center Moratorium
Tazewell County officials are finalizing a nine-month moratorium on data center applications to develop a formal zoning ordinance by July 2027.
The Tazewell County Zoning Board of Appeals has approved a nine-month moratorium on data center applications, moving the measure toward a final county board vote scheduled for October 28. The moratorium was extended from six to nine months to account for board turnover following the November 3 election, providing officials time to establish a formal data center ordinance.
Currently, the draft ordinance only mandates that data centers be located in industrial-zoned areas. Local officials intend to finalize the regulations by July 27, 2027, though the timeline remains subject to the state legislature's progress on the POWER Act, which addresses energy, water, and environmental concerns related to data center development.
County board and land use committee member Eric Stahl advocated for the moratorium to ensure the county does not appear to be dragging its feet. Land use committee chairman Russ Crawford stated his goal is to create an ordinance that other counties will want to model.
