Lawrence County Board approves data-center moratorium

The Lawrence County Board has approved a moratorium on data centers, while a solar project in the county is moving forward.

The two developments affect separate types of local land-use and infrastructure decisions. The board’s action places a pause on data-center activity, while the solar project continues through its process.

Board action

The board approved the data-center moratorium. The action establishes a temporary limit on data-center development, but the length of the moratorium and any rules attached to it were not stated.

Solar project

A solar project is moving forward in Lawrence County. The project’s size, location, ownership and next scheduled approval or construction step were not stated.

What the action means

The board’s decision puts data centers and the solar project on different tracks: data-center development is subject to a moratorium, while the solar project continues. Further county action would determine how the moratorium is applied and what happens next in the solar project’s process.