(FOX40.COM) — San Joaquin County adopted a moratorium on new data centers in its unincorporated areas to prepare for more “large-scale” projects in the future, officials announced Wednesday.
The county Board of Supervisors paused land-use approvals involving data centers for 45 days, the board said in a news release. That stoppage affects a large swathe of land along the county’s perimeter and about 46 communities, according to state records.
According to the board, while public welfare is “preserved” for 45 days, officials will research the upgrades needed for the county’s policy and infrastructure. County Board Chair and Supervisor Sonny Dhaliwal, District 3, said the former is especially lacking in approaching data centers.
“[San Joaquin] County does not currently have specific standards to address the unique impacts of data centers, from noise and energy demands to emergency response and infrastructure capacity,” Dhaliwal said in the release…